Monitoring of Deep Space Physiology via Dry Saliva Sampling during Artemis Missions (Artemis Biomarkers) - Project Update

Prior to the deployment of prolonged deep space missions which may carry increased crew health risks, it is essential to determine the effect that missions beyond the Van Allen Belt will have on physiology. Historically the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), Human Research Program (HRP) has developed, conducted, and delivered research findings and countermeasures that will maintain the health and safety of crews aboard the International Space Station (ISS) in anticipation of future exploration class missions. To support these objectives, research operations on ISS typically include the collection and storage of human physiological samples and their return to Earth for analysis. Transition to Gateway and Artemis lunar exploration will limit the available up mass and biosample return capability resulting in new challenges to monitor crew health during the mission. The Artemis lunar mission represent a perfect opportunity to perform an assessment of new technology that can potentially support crew biosample return, compatible with the severe operational constraints of Artemis mission design.

Dried biosample chemistry analysis is a potential technology that can enable the collection of samples and tracking of crew health during these exploration class missions. The development and implementation of dried biosample chemistry technology for tracking immune health, viral reactivation and hormone fluctuations provide a simple alternative strategy for sample collection and sample return (light weight non-conditioned stowage option) for the continuation of human research during Artemis missions. Saliva is established as an informative biosample that has both its own unique available analytes as well as others that cross over with blood. Saliva is already routinely collected from ISS astronauts for the detection of stress hormones and latent virus DNA. The ‘Dry Saliva’ book sample collection/storage protocol, already successfully deployed to ISS, represents a perfect method to return invaluable biosamples from Gateway and Artemis astronauts that requires a simple, non-invasive sample collection protocol, minimum volume and uses non-conditioned storage.

This study was selected and manifested for Artemis II-IV. As part of the Flight Definition preparations, we are currently running an expanded stability study of the dry saliva analyte platform to include additional stress hormones, cytokines, antimicrobial proteins, and latent virus DNA as well as other markers of immunity/inflammation. Initial studies allowed downselection of processing protocols, including paper selection, reconstitution methodology, storage conditions, etc. For Artemis II, crew Informed Consent Briefings and Baseline Data Collections are complete. An update on this study, as of March 2026, will be presented.