DrRobert Ferl

My colleagues and I send plants into space to try to understand how terrestrial life responds to living in space and what that means for the future of human space travel. We have also used harsh environments on Earth, like Antarctica, to understand how to support astronauts on the Moon, Mars and beyond. As co-chair of the National Academies' Decadal Survey on Biological and Physical Sciences Research in Space 2023-2032, I advocated for a greater investment in space biology and physical science as a key to future human missions, and as director of the UF space institute I am helping to leverage the work of more than 100 scientists working in space-related fields across our institution.My colleagues and I send plants into space to try to understand how terrestrial life responds to living in space and what that means for the future of human space travel. We have also used harsh environments on Earth, like Antarctica, to understand how to support astronauts on the Moon, Mars, and beyond. As co-chair of the National Academies' Decadal Survey on Biological and Physical Sciences Research in Space 2023-2032, I advocated for greater investment in space biology and physical science as a key to future human missions. As director of the Astraeus Space Institute, I am helping to leverage the work of more than 100 scientists working in space-related fields across our institution.