Unlocking Microgravity: India's Next Frontier in Space and Medicine

ISRO Chief S Somanath announced India's potential investments in microgravity research, emphasizing collaborations with stakeholders such as vaccine developers. With a MoU signed between the Department of Biotechnology and Department of Space, this initiative aims to enhance understanding of human biology in space, boosting medical advancements.

ISRO Chief S Somanath has highlighted India's burgeoning opportunity in microgravity research, spotlighting ongoing discussions with stakeholders including vaccine developers at the Raksha Summit 2024. Microgravity's role in medical advancements presents immense potential, particularly in how biological systems respond to space environments.

In a landmark move, the Department of Biotechnology and the Department of Space have entered into an agreement to explore biotechnology research in space, a venture set to support ISRO's human space flight project Gaganyaan. Somanath emphasized the initiative's significance in unraveling the effects of microgravity on human physiology, such as body fluid dynamics.

Somanath also urged the domestic healthcare sector to emulate the space sector's success in localizing manufacturing. He pointed out that while ISRO successfully domesticated technology production in aerospace, similar strategies could bolster India's healthcare infrastructure, especially in producing cost-effective hospital equipment.

(With inputs from agencies.)