ABOUT THE INSTITUTE OF HEALTH BEYOND EARTH
The Institute of Health Beyond Earth is a 501 ⒞(3) nonprofit organization pioneering research and innovation in natural medicine for space exploration. We bridge critical gaps in space medicine by integrating natural and holistic approaches, empowering humanity to thrive beyond Earth.
You believe in the power of natural medicine.
This includes practices like Chinese medicine and acupuncture, mind-body therapies, and integrative and functional approaches. You’ve experienced the benefits of natural medicine in your own health or in the health of your loved ones. Most importantly, you want to ensure its preservation for future generations—even as we become a space-faring civilization.
You are a scientist, inventor or creator in the spaceflight industry.
You want to improve your designs to be more human-centric and user-friendly by incorporating principles of natural medicine.
You are a space
enthusiast!
Since you were a child, you have dreamt of going to Space. Although your career is not aligned with the spaceflight industry, you still want to contribute meaningfully to the conversation of Space Health for All.
The Institute of Health Beyond Earth is for you if...
YOU CAN IMPACT THE DEVELOPMENT OF SPACE HEALTH
You've likely noticed the lack of conversation – or even imagination – around if and how natural medicine can work in microgravity environments. There's very little research, few published case studies, and virtually no education.
We need investments in research and development so that we can investigate how natural medicine principles can work in space, and invent devices that can be used for acupuncture in space.
Space Medicine today views health and disease through a strictly physical and mechanistic lens. This approach reduces complex biological systems and processes to their smallest components (e.g., genes, molecules, cells) and often relies heavily on technological and pharmaceutical interventions to address health issues. For example, bone density loss and muscle atrophy are often treated with pharmaceuticals or exercise equipment, radiation exposure with shielding or experimental drugs, and immune system suppression is managed with immunosuppressive therapies.
Space travel imposes significant psychological stress, including isolation, confinement, and the psychological toll of being far from Earth. The space environment disrupts not only physical health but also circadian rhythms, gut microbiota, and emotional resilience. Many space-related health issues, such as immune dysfunction or cognitive decline, are multifactorial and require a systems-level approach.
What most people don’t know is...
Most natural medicine and integrative healthcare practices such as acupuncture and Chinese medicine can address the spiritual, emotional, psychological, and physical needs all at once. Space acupuncture can reduce the need for resource-intensive interventions such as pharmaceutical-drug production.
Through the lens of Classic Chinese Medicine, which is a system-science approach, we can learn new ways to understand the interconnectedness of humans with their environments; this is crucial for learning how to thrive in the new, unfamiliar and extreme environment of space.
With over a 3000-year history, it views the body as an ecology and herbs can be a powerful intervention that can teach the body to correct its dysfunction in a healthy and holistic way. Chinese herbal medicine addresses the root of the condition, not just its symptoms. If we research and know the kinds of herbs that can be useful for spaceflight-related pathologies, we can know what plants to grow in a space station, on Mars or the Moon.
Chinese medicine is a powerful science in its own right.
THE HEALTH BEYOND EARTH APPROACH
We champion a revolutionary approach to wellbeing:
Space Health for All.
We believe that true health transcends clinics and corporations, residing in the harmonious balance of Mind, Body, and Spirit – a state that empowers us to connect with our authentic selves and cultivate vibrant communities, anywhere in the cosmos. Our mission is to pioneer Space Health solutions that enable humans to flourish in any environment, leading lives of meaning, joy, and inherent dignity.
To achieve this vision, let’s take these steps together:
STEP 01
Reclaim the
idea of Health
TAKE A MOMENT TO REFLECT
Health is about more than medicine. Each of us has a personal experience and definition of what it means to be healthy. Health may include the environment, the soil, and our minds. It can also include the mind-body connection and physical health, which is where integrative medicine principles come in.
Reflect: How do you define health today, and how should future humans who are born and live beyond Earth experience it?
test
Get curious,
ask questions,
and take action
STEP 03
We know little about how spaceflight affects human health. Even asking if Earth-based practices work in microgravity can spark discovery and attract new resources.
Get involved, wherever your passion lies. Inventors, creators, and scientists - explore how integrative health can inform your work or close critical gaps. Healthcare practitioners - launch new research.
Everyone can help move this forward.
ASK A LOT OF QUESTIONS
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STEP 02
Contribute to
the conversation
JOIN THE CONVERSATION
Once you’ve defined what health means to you, the next step is to join the conversation and help drive the direction of health beyond Earth. You needn’t be a medical professional to make meaningful contributions. You’ve had your own experience of what enhances your sense of wellbeing.
Start there.
Health Beyond Earth is a forum that brings like-minded people to the table.
THE BENEFITS OF IMAGINING HEALTH BEYOND EARTH
Watch insights from the founder of the Institute of Health Beyond Earth, Dr. Michelle Yan.
In this talk, Dr. Michelle Yan shares how ancient healing practices like Chinese medicine can shape the future of health beyond Earth. Drawing from her experience as a physician, herbalist, and educator, she explores how integrative approaches can support human resilience in space and why reimagining medicine now matters more than ever.
01
We get better-designed spaceflight technologies built on holistic health principles, and therefore more suited for human use.
02
We learn together, led by experts in the field. This fuels more questions and feeds the passion, enthusiasm and creativity.
03
We will be able to know how to change/modify our Integrative medicine maps for human health in Space, offering alternatives and guidance on how to integrate these principles to help future humans thrive in Space.
04
We begin paving the way for future humans to have an alternative to pharmaceuticals.
Our goal is to thrive anywhere in this solar system and lead meaningful and joyful lives being aligned with the dignity of being human.
— Dr. Michelle Yan, DSOM, LAc.
Founder & Executive Director, Institute of Health Beyond Earth
Doctor of Chinese Medicine | Acupuncture Physician | Herbalist & Educator, Path Solaris
