NASA believes that in order for a person to stay longer on planet Mars, people will need to grow some plants themselves. These specialized plants will provide people with adequate food and oxygen to stay alive. Although Mars has a relatively low pressurized environment and poor gravity, the leading researchers at the Zvezda Service Module believe that creating plant life is possible by developing new ways of growing plants. The Russian BIO-5 Rasteniya-2/Lada-2 sprout is an example of such a newly grown plant using this newly discovered techniques of growing within low gravity environments.
Communication is one of the trickiest aspects regarding communication in space and within the ISS. The realization of the difficulties of communicating in space--brought about since the advent of the ISS--has led to better spacesuits with better communication devices, which must be developed to minimize casualties and injuries during space-walk missions. NASA is now on the verge of creating a new improved set of space suits with an enhanced communication system. This new space suit will have no traditional fixed microphones and earphones, instead, both of these communication devices will be embedded in the space suit itself. So this means a better and more ensured communication system for astronauts when on the space station.
One of the most researched fields in space is upon the human body's exposure to space and zero-gravity fields. Although this area has been in existence since space flight began, massive research and data only began with the advent of the ISS. Results suggest that prolonged exposure to the zero-gravity effects of space might be worse than once thought--leading to many conditions including muscle atrophy, fluid shifts and bone loss.