LEIA

Lunar Explorer Instrument for space biology Applications

future Mission

ABOUT

What is LEIA?
Pair of gloved hands holding a rectangular clear manifold containing two black square fluidic cards. Tubes filled with blue dye are connected to the manifold.

LEIA will conduct biological research on the Moon by delivering yeast to the lunar surface, and studying its response to radiation and lunar gravity.

Type

Experiment

Launch

2026

Target

Earth's Moon

Objective

Conduct biological research on the Moon

Latest News

Explore All LEIA Stories
News Release
3 min read

NASA Outlines Latest Moon to Mars Plans in 2024 Architecture Update

34 min read

Johnson’s Front Door

A close-up of a spiral galaxy, seen face-on. Its center is a bright white point, surrounded by a large yellowish oval with thin lines of dust swirling in it. From the sides of the oval emerge two bright spiral arms which wind through the round disk of the galaxy, filled with shining pink spots where stars are forming and more dark reddish dust. Many stars are visible in the foreground, over and around the galaxy.
2 min read

Hubble Images a Grand Spiral

Article4 hours ago
2 min read

Hubble Captures an Edge-On Spiral with Curve Appeal

Image Article
7 min read

NASA Kennedy Top 24 Stories of 2024

Article21 hours ago
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The image is divided horizontally by an undulating line between a cloudscape forming a nebula along the bottom portion and a comparatively clear upper portion. Speckled across both portions is a starfield, showing innumerable stars of many sizes. The smallest of these are small, distant, and faint points of light. The largest of these appear larger, closer, brighter, and more fully resolved with 8-point diffraction spikes. The upper portion of the image is blueish, and has wispy translucent cloud-like streaks rising from the nebula below. The orangish cloudy formation in the bottom half varies in density and ranges from translucent to opaque. The stars vary in color, the majority of which have a blue or orange hue. The cloud-like structure of the nebula contains ridges, peaks, and valleys – an appearance very similar to a mountain range. Three long diffraction spikes from the top right edge of the image suggest the presence of a large star just out of view.

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