Journal profile · Agricultural and Biological Sciences-Agricultural and Biological Sciences (miscellaneous)
Life Sciences in Space Research
ISSN 2214-5524 · eISSN 2214-5532 · Elsevier BV · Netherlands
Life Sciences in Space Research: CAS Zone 3 · Biology (2025 upgraded edition); impact factor 3.14; hybrid open access; APC about USD 3,060; median 110 days to acceptance (96 articles, last 24 months); acceptance rate 39% (journal website); 114 articles in 2025; indexed in SCIE and Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
Life Sciences in Space Research is published by Elsevier BV and is in Zone 3 of Biology in the CAS Journal Ranking (2025 upgraded edition). By OpenAlex counts of its recent articles, its largest topics are Spaceflight effects on biology, Radiation Therapy and Dosimetry and Effects of Radiation Exposure, together about 46% of its articles. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
The journal Life Sciences in Space Research features an editorial team of top scientists in the space radiation field and guarantees a fast turnaround time from submission to editorial decision.Manuscripts in the following areas are considered:Astrobiology;Prebiotic chemistry and origin of life;Life in extreme environments;Habitability in the solar system and beyond;Ecological life support and sustainability;Functionality, monitoring and control of ecosystem in space environment;Animal models in space research;Effects of space flight conditions on human bodies;Non-cancer health effects of space radiation, space flight;Space radiation risk assessment and countermeasures;Space radiation dosimetry - measurements, modeling and detector development;Gravitational effects in biological systems;Effects of space radiation in living organisms at the cellular and molecular levels.
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): Agricultural and Biological Sciences-Agricultural and Biological Sciences (miscellaneous)
Editor-in-chief Tom K. HeiPublisher website
Editorial board by country: 1 in mainland China (about 4%); most named United States 10, Germany 5, Japan 4, Italy 2, Mainland China 1 (23 members with a country) Editorial board ↗Publisher website ·
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Spaceflight effects on biologyMedicine24.6%
- Radiation Therapy and DosimetryMedicine15.2%
- Effects of Radiation ExposureMedicine6.2%
- Planetary Science and ExplorationPhysics and Astronomy5.1%
- Light effects on plantsAgricultural and Biological Sciences4.3%
- Space Exploration and TechnologyEngineering4.3%
- Educational Robotics and EngineeringComputer Science3.6%
- Human auditory perception and evaluationEngineering3.6%
Rankings & indexing
CAS ranking and database indexing
CAS Journal Ranking
CAS Journal Ranking, upgraded edition (March 2025)Biology Zone 3
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Biology | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Astronomy & Astrophysics | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Biology | Zone 3 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
CAS Xinrui Journal Ranking (March 2026)Biology Zone 3
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Biology | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Astronomy & Astrophysics | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Biology | Zone 3 |
Top journal: noReview journal: not marked
CAS Journal Ranking, previous upgraded edition (December 2023)Biology Zone 3
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Biology | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Astronomy & Astrophysics | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Biology | Zone 3 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
Database indexing
SCIEScopusLetPub
International journal early-warning lists: not listed in any editionLetPub
Editions, and major and minor categories, are shown separately and never merged into one zone; check which edition your institution uses before you submit or report.
Metrics
Impact metrics and publication volume
Impact
- Impact factor
- 3.14LetPub ·
- Impact factor (publisher)
- 3.3Publisher website ·
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 6LetPub ·
- CiteScore (publisher)
- 6Publisher website ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 0.67LetPub ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 1.1LetPub ·
- h-index
- 42OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 284OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 1.7OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 9.1%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 35.79%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 70LetPub ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 794 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 83 | 28 | 18 |
| 2025 | 114 | 40 | 103 |
| 2024 | 77 | 47 | 345 |
| 2023 | 60 | 27 | 504 |
| 2022 | 64 | 41 | 714 |
| 2021 | 57 | 20 | 804 |
Sources count differently and were observed at different times, so each source's own value is kept; "publisher" marks figures from the journal's website.
Review & acceptance
Review time and acceptance
Review time from article dates manuscript dates registered with PubMed · to
110 daysMedian, submission to acceptance · P25–P75 61 days – 148 days
- Acceptance to online
- median 1 days (96 articles)
- Submission to online
- median 115 days
- Sample
- 96 articles with submission and acceptance dates (181 in the window); the latest was accepted on
Only articles that were accepted and published are counted, not the time spent on rejected manuscripts, so this usually runs longer than a publisher's "time to first decision".
Other sources
- Acceptance rate (publisher)
- 39%Publisher website ·
- First decision after review
- 41 daysPublisher website ·
- Submission to acceptance
- 93 daysPublisher website ·
- Acceptance to publication
- 3 daysPublisher website ·
- Peer review
- Single anonymous peer reviewPublisher website
Community reports come from authors' own submissions (confidence 0.5) and are not a promise from the journal; for publisher figures, the journal's own definitions apply.
Fees & open access
APC and open-access policy
Hybrid open accessLetPub
A subscription journal in which authors can pay to publish their article open access.
| Source | APC | Fee waiver | License | Observed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| OpenAlex | USD 3,060 / EUR 2,860 / GBP 2,450 / JPY 379,530 | — | — | |
| Publisher website | USD 3,509 | — | — |
A hybrid journal charges the APC only when the author chooses open access; publishing under the subscription model is usually free.
The journal's website is authoritative for fees; sources were observed at different times and each keeps its own value, without averaging.
Submission
Article types and submission policies (journal website)
What to prepare6 items from the author guidelines
- Abstract
- ≤ 250 words
- Keywords
- ≥ 1
- Manuscript length
- ≤ 3,500 words
- Reference style
- Author–date
- Templates
- LaTeX
- Highlights
- Optional
Article types accepted11, with length limits
- book reviewReview papers are normally 4000-5000 words in total. Authors are advised to consult one of the Editors with an outline before submitting a full review.Book revi…Length not stated
- editorialReview papers are normally 4000-5000 words in total. Authors are advised to consult one of the Editors with an outline before submitting a full review.Book revi…Length not stated
- editorialsEditorials: The Editors welcome suggestions for editorials which give personal and topical views on subjects within the journal's area of interest. They should …Length not stated
- full length research papersFull length research papers will not normally be more than 3500 words in length from the Introduction through the Discussion section and will preferably be shor…Length not stated
- opinionReview papers are normally 4000-5000 words in total. Authors are advised to consult one of the Editors with an outline before submitting a full review.Book revi…Length not stated
- opinion papersThe journal may occasionally publish Opinion Papers, which will summarise some aspect of the state of the domain or present ideas for its future.Length not stated
- original researchReview papers are normally 4000-5000 words in total. Authors are advised to consult one of the Editors with an outline before submitting a full review.Book revi…Length not stated
- perspectiveReview papers are normally 4000-5000 words in total. Authors are advised to consult one of the Editors with an outline before submitting a full review.Book revi…Length not stated
- research paperReview papers are normally 4000-5000 words in total. Authors are advised to consult one of the Editors with an outline before submitting a full review.Book revi…main text ≤ 3,500 words
- reviewReview papers are normally 4000-5000 words in total. Authors are advised to consult one of the Editors with an outline before submitting a full review.Book revi…main text ≤ 5,000 words
- review papersReview papers are normally 4000-5000 words in total.Length not stated
Policy excerpts from the journal's websiteAI use, Authorship, Conflicts of interest, License & copyright, Open access, Peer review, Preprints
- AI use Declaration of generative AI use
Authors must declare the use of generative AI tools in the manuscript preparation process upon submission of the paper.Generative AI and AI-assisted technologies (“AI tools”) have been rapidly adopted in research and scholarly publishing, offering significant benefits while requiring clear standards for responsible and transparent use.Authors preparing a manuscript for this journal may use AI tool…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Authorship Group authorship
1 to 6 keywords required Model summary
Group authorship refers to the attribution of an article to a defined and named group of authors whose members have contributed to the work. Examples include research consortia, clinical trial groups, collaborative networks, task forces or working groups, expert panels or consensus groups, and participatory research groups. Group authorship must be declared on the title page at submission. When av…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Conflicts of interest Declaration of competing interests
All authors must disclose any financial and personal relationships with other people or organizations that could inappropriately influence or bias their work. Examples of potential competing interests include:EmploymentConsultanciesStock ownershipHonorariaPaid expert testimonyPatent applications or registrationsGrants or any other fundingAffiliation with the journal as an Editor or Advisory Board …
Source ↗Publisher website ·- License & copyright Copyright
Upon acceptance of an article, authors will be asked to complete a 'Journal Publishing Agreement' (for more information on this and copyright, see https://www.elsevier.com/copyright). An e-mail will be sent to the corresponding author confirming receipt of the manuscript together with a 'Journal Publishing Agreement' form or a link to the online version of this agreement. Life Sciences in Space Re…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Open access Open access
We refer you to our open access information page to learn about open access options for this journal.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Peer review Peer review
Single anonymized review process Model summary
This journal follows a single anonymized review process. Your submission will initially be assessed by our editors. If your submission is deemed suitable, it will typically be sent to be reviewed by a minimum of two reviewers for an independent expert assessment of the scientific quality. The decision as to whether your article is accepted or rejected for publication will be made by our editors.Re…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Preprints Preprints
Preprint sharing allowed Model summary
Preprint sharingAuthors may share preprints in line with Elsevier's article sharing policy. Sharing preprints, such as on a preprint server, will not count as prior publication.We advise you to read our policy on multiple, redundant or concurrent publication.
Source ↗Publisher website ·
Excerpts are quoted from the journal's website; "model summary" lines are written by Workers AI and checked against the text. The journal's website is authoritative.
Profile
Publication details and official links
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Country or region
- Netherlands
- Language
- English
- ISSN
- 2214-5524
- Electronic ISSN
- 2214-5532
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗LetPub
- Submission system ↗Publisher website
- Special issues ↗Publisher website
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about Life Sciences in Space Research
What CAS zone is Life Sciences in Space Research in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, Life Sciences in Space Research is in Zone 3 of Biology, and in Zone 3 of the minor category Astronomy & Astrophysics / Biology. In the 2026 Xinrui edition it is in Zone 3 of Biology. Zones from different editions, and from major and minor categories, are not interchangeable.
What is the impact factor of Life Sciences in Space Research?
The latest impact factor listed by LetPub is 3.14; CiteScore 6, h-index 42.
How long does peer review take at Life Sciences in Space Research?
Based on the dates recorded on 96 articles published between October 2024 and October 2026 (the last 24 months), the median time from submission to acceptance is 110 days (interquartile range 61–148 days); the journal's website gives an acceptance rate of 39%. Article statistics cover accepted papers only, publisher figures follow the journal's own definitions, and community reports come from authors' own submissions; none is a promise from the journal.
What are the manuscript requirements of Life Sciences in Space Research?
According to the journal's author guidelines: Abstract: ≤ 250 words; Keywords: ≥ 1; Manuscript length: ≤ 3,500 words; Reference style: Author–date; Templates: LaTeX; Highlights: Optional. A model extracted these from the author guidelines and each was checked against the text; check the latest version on the journal's website before submitting.
Where are the editorial board members of Life Sciences in Space Research based?
Of the 23 board members whose country the journal's board page names, 1 (about 4%) are in mainland China; the countries named most often are United States (10), Germany (5) and Japan (4). Counted from the institutions listed on the board page; for reference only.
Which databases index Life Sciences in Space Research?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, Life Sciences in Space Research is indexed in SCIE and Scopus.
Is Life Sciences in Space Research open access, and what is the APC?
Life Sciences in Space Research is a hybrid journal. For open-access publication: APC about USD 3,060.
Sources and updates
The facts on this page come from LetPub, Publisher website, OpenAlex; every figure is tagged with its source and the date it was observed, and conflicting values are kept per source. LetPub source page: view ↗ (archived 2026-08-25). Last updated: .