The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to collaborate on research in space medicine, aimed at supporting India’s future human spaceflight missions. The agreement was formalized by Dinesh Kumar Singh, director of ISRO’s Human Spaceflight Centre (HSFC), and Dr. M. Srinivas, director of AIIMS.
The partnership will focus on understanding how the human body adapts to long-duration space travel and developing medical systems to maintain astronaut health during missions. This initiative comes as India prepares for extended missions, including the planned Bharatiya Antariksh Station and potential crewed lunar flights, which pose significant physiological and psychological challenges. Astronauts in microgravity environments face risks such as muscle and bone loss, immune system changes, and behavioural and mental stress.
Under the collaboration, scientists and medical experts from both organisations will conduct both ground-based and space-based studies. Research will encompass areas such as human physiology, behavioural health, immunology, neuroscience, gut microbiome studies, metabolic health, nutrition, and musculoskeletal atrophy caused by microgravity. Additionally, the programme will examine infectious disease control and other essential medical countermeasures needed in space environments.
The joint effort will also focus on developing specialised medical devices, procedures, and clinical protocols that can be employed during crewed missions. By integrating research from multiple disciplines, the initiative seeks to enhance India’s capabilities in space medicine, an area critical to the country’s expanding human spaceflight programme.
Officials highlighted that this collaboration will cultivate expertise in space medicine in India while providing practical solutions for the health and safety of astronauts. The research is expected to play a pivotal role in ensuring mission success for long-duration space exploration and will contribute to India’s growing leadership in human spaceflight.
