ABSTRACT
Life, as it functions on Earth, evolved within the constraints of the physics that can be experienced on our planet. However, these constraints drastically change if we find ourselves out in space. Outer space is an environment highly challenging for life, and the only way for a life form like ours to survive is to build a protective environment that can soften its asperity. In this chapter, we will see what the significant challenges that we will need to counteract to advance into a new era of space exploration are, how our necessities shape the structures of our space vessels, and how a long permanence in space may shape the physiology of the crew and, potentially, of their offspring.
