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
Article
3 min read

NASA Activates Resources to Help Assess Impacts from Hurricane Milton

Article
3 min read

Sols 4329-4330: Continuing Downhill

A grayscale photograph from the Martian surface shows a field of very rocky terrain in front of the Curiosity rover, stretching out to a hill rising from the surface, all of it light gray. The field is covered in lighter-toned, medium to large angular rocks. Two of the rover's wheels are visible in the image, at the left and right sides of the frame.
A supermoon rises behind the U.S. Capitol, Monday, March 9, 2020
29 min read

The Next Full Moon is a Supermoon, and the Hunter’s Moon

Article23 hours ago
24 min read

NASA Celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month 2024

Article1 day ago
3 min read

NASA to Provide Live Coverage of Crew-8 Return, Splashdown

News Release
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James Webb Space Telescope

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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