Isro, AIIMS Sign MoU On Space Medicine And Research

Nellore: The Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi, for cooperation in space medicine and research.

According to Isro, the MoU aims to promote joint research aligned with its priority areas, with the objective of advancing human health, performance and safety during human space missions.

The MoU was signed and exchanged by Dinesh Kumar Singh, director of the Human Spaceflight Centre, and Dr Srinivas M, director of AIIMS, in the presence of Dr V. Narayanan, chairman of Isro and secretary of the Department of Space.

Isro said long-duration human space missions such as the Bharatiya Antariksh Station and crewed missions to the Moon pose unique medical challenges due to the extreme space environment and microgravity.

The collaboration aims to undertake ground- and space-based studies to develop multidisciplinary expertise in space medicine, along with medical devices, procedures and protocols required to maintain human health and performance in extreme space conditions. The research is also expected to contribute to advancements in healthcare on Earth.

Focused research and development will be carried out in areas such as human physiology, behavioural health, immunology and gut microbiome, biomedical sciences, neuroscience and neurophysiology, nutrition and metabolic health, musculoskeletal atrophy and ageing in microgravity, and infectious disease control.

Through this collaboration, Isro and AIIMS aim to strengthen interdisciplinary research, build long-term institutional cooperation and support India’s human spaceflight programme. The partnership is also expected to encourage innovation and create new opportunities for the country’s scientific community.