The International Space Station (|SS) has low microbial diversity, which could lead to astronaut health issues, according to a study published in Cell.

Researchers found that the microbial communities resemble those found in sanitized environments like hospitals rather than natural settings.

Co-senior study author Pieter Dorrestein explains that increasing microbial exposure could improve astronaut health during long-term space travel.

The study suggests incorporating natural elements, like soil, into the ISS to enhance microbial diversity and astronaut well-being.

The study in question:

https://www.cell.com/cell/fulltext/S0092-8674(25)00108-4

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[–] Cocodapuf 2 points 2 days ago

I do want to say that you're totally right about space based manufacturing key to any real expansion into space. I mean automated would be nice, but it's not totally necessary. Getting manufacturing to work in space at all is going to take some serious experimentation, so it can't really start 100% automated. But on the other hand, I do expect robotic drones to play a major role, even in the beginning.