5 A. Choukèr (ed.), Stress Challenges and Immunity in Space, DOI 10.1007/978-3-642-22272-6_2, © Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2012 For centuries, mankind has struggled to understand the profound complexity govern- ing the principles of life and the universe. This quest has taken him on scientific journeys far and wide: from the exquisitely simple atomic structure of our DNA to the hellish and chaotic depths of our sun, the energy source for all life on Earth, and S. Baatout Belgian Nuclear Research Center, Foundation of Public Utility, SCK-CEN, Mol, Belgium A. Choukèr (*) Coordinator of the Topical Team “Stress and Immunity”, Department of Anaesthesiology, University of Munich, Germany e-mail: alexander.chouker@med.uni-muenchen.de I. Kaufmann • G. Schelling Department of Anaesthesiology, University of Munich, Germany N. Montano L. Sacco Hospital, University of Milan, Milan, Italy S. Praun V&F Analyse- und Messtechnik GmbH Absam, Austria D. de Quervain University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland B. Roozendaal Department of Neuroscience, University Medical Center, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands M. Thiel Department of Anesthesiology, Medical Faculty of Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Germany 2 Space Travel: An Integrative View from the Scientists of the Topical Team “Stress and Immunity” Sarah Baatout, Alexander Choukèr, Ines Kaufmann, Nicola Montano, Siegfried Praun, Dominique de Quervain, Benno Roozendaal, Gustav Schelling, and Manfred Thiel The European Space Agency has supported the teaming up of international experts in “Topical Teams”. Topical Teams are open structures lead by European researchers which should address a scientific field in which gravity and access to space or planetary bodies constitute important cor- nerstones. The founding members of the Topical Team “Stress and Immunity”, as listed in alpha- betical order as authors of this perlude, were significantly involved in the realization of this book, contributed to it and authored this chapter as a group. This prelude was supported also by Alex P. Salam.