BioSentile: A Deep Space Nanosatelite for Biological Research.

With the exception of a few expensive, human-operated bLEO missions, studying biology's reaction to the complex interplanetary space radiation environment directly has never been attempted. However, if humans are to travel outside of Earth's protective magnetic field for periods longer than a few days, such studies are essential. This paradigm is about to change, and BioSentinel is the leading example of a class of reliable, autonomous bioanalytical microsystems that are compatible with small satellites.