ISRO Chief S Somanath has recently emphasised the significant potential for India in the field of microgravity research during the Raksha Summit 2024. He indicated that the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is actively engaging with various stakeholders, including vaccine developers and medical diagnostic equipment manufacturers, to explore opportunities in this area.

Somanath highlighted that India has a promising future in microgravity research, particularly in medical applications. The discussions with stakeholders aim to enhance understanding of how biological systems react in space environments, which could lead to advancements in medical science.

A memorandum of understanding (MoU) has been signed between the Department of Biotechnology (DBT) and ISRO to facilitate biotechnology research related to space. This collaboration is expected to support ISRO's human spaceflight project, Gaganyaan, and will focus on understanding body fluid dynamics and other physiological responses in microgravity.

Somanath called for a similar approach to localize manufacturing in healthcare as was done in the aerospace sector. He noted that while ISRO has successfully sourced 90% of its components domestically, there is a need for the healthcare sector to adopt this model to produce medical equipment locally, thus reducing costs and fostering innovation.

The potential experiments arising from this initiative include studying muscle loss prevention supplements for astronauts and researching algae growth under microgravity conditions. These studies could have implications not only for space missions but also for addressing health issues on Earth, such as sarcopenia, an age-related muscle loss condition.

As India prepares for its first crewed spaceflight mission by 2025-2026, advancements in microgravity research will play a crucial role in ensuring the success of future human space exploration endeavours.