India’s premier medical institute AIIMS and ISRO’s Human Space Flight Centre have signed a memorandum of understanding to collaborate on space medicine, setting the stage for systematic research on how the human body behaves in space and how those insights can be applied to improve healthcare on Earth. The agreement aligns with India’s expanding human spaceflight ambitions and is expected to strengthen both biomedical research and astronaut health capabilities.
The collaboration creates a framework for both ground-based and space-based research across a wide spectrum of disciplines, including human physiology, cardiovascular and autonomic regulation, musculoskeletal health in microgravity, microbiome and immunology, genomics and biomarkers, and behavioural health. These areas are central to understanding how prolonged stays in space affect organs, systems and overall human performance, and to developing countermeasures that can be translated to clinical care back on Earth.
Explaining the medical significance, Prof. K.K. Deepak, former head of physiology at AIIMS, said research on bodily changes in microgravity can mirror and illuminate disease and ageing processes seen in hospitals. “In microgravity, astronauts experience muscle loss, bone weakening and fluid shifts in the body — changes that resemble accelerated ageing. Studying these processes helps scientists understand how ageing affects muscles, bones and circulation in people on Earth,” he said. Technologies developed to counter these effects, such as devices that improve blood flow in the legs, could support treatment of circulation problems and help maintain muscle strength in patients, he added.
AIIMS director Prof M Srinivas described the pact as a catalyst for a new phase of medical innovation that goes beyond traditional hospital-based research. “This MoU will give us the escape velocity to venture into space medicine. Research between AIIMS and ISRO will benefit patients, the nation and ultimately humankind,” he said. Officials indicated that AIIMS’ role will span protocol development, physiological monitoring, countermeasure testing and analysis of biological samples, working in tandem with ISRO’s human spaceflight teams.
The memorandum of understanding was signed by AIIMS director M. Srinivas and Dinesh Kumar Singh, director of ISRO’s Human Space Flight Centre, in the presence of ISRO chairman and secretary, Department of Space, V. Narayanan, along with senior faculty and students from the institute. The event also featured an overview of AIIMS’ ongoing work in space medicine research, presented by Prof Deepak, underscoring that the institute has already begun laying the scientific groundwork for such collaboration.
Addressing the gathering, Narayanan traced the arc of India’s space programme, from its early days when rockets and equipment were transported on bicycles and bullock carts to its current status as a global player in space technology. He said partnerships with institutions such as AIIMS will be crucial to building robust human spaceflight capabilities, adding a strong biomedical pillar to India’s launch, spacecraft and mission operations strengths.
Officials said the partnership marks a significant step in consolidating India’s capabilities in human spaceflight and biomedical research as the country advances its space ambitions. By tying clinical expertise at AIIMS with ISRO’s mission infrastructure, the collaboration is expected to generate data and technologies that support astronaut safety, deepen understanding of human biology under extreme conditions and open pathways for new diagnostics and therapies that can be applied far beyond the space programme.
