New Delhi, Mar 9 (UNI) The All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi, has signed a contract with the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) to advance research in space medicine, according to an official document released on Monday.
The agreement was signed between M Srinivas, Director of AIIMS, and Dinesh Kumar Singh, Director of the Bengaluru-based Human Space Flight Centre (HSFC), which is responsible for implementing India’s human spaceflight programme.
Speaking on the occasion, Srinivas said the collaboration would help expand research in the emerging field of space medicine. “This MoU will give us the escape velocity to venture together into the field of space medicine. Collaborative research between AIIMS and ISRO will benefit patients, the nation, and ultimately humankind,” he said.
Under the agreement, the two institutions will develop a joint research system focusing on several aspects of space medicine, including human physiology, cardiovascular and autonomic regulation, musculoskeletal health in microgravity, microbiome and immunology, genomics and biomarkers, and behavioural health.
V Narayanan, Chairman of ISRO and Secretary in the Department of Space, welcomed the collaboration, saying it would strengthen India’s capabilities in human spaceflight research.
The partnership comes as India prepares for the Gaganyaan Mission, the country’s first programme aimed at sending humans to space. The mission is currently targeted for launch by 2027.
Before the crewed mission, ISRO plans to carry out three uncrewed test flights, one of which will include the half-humanoid robot Vyomitra, designed to simulate human functions in space. However, official launch dates for these missions have not yet been announced.
India’s growing involvement in space-based research was also reflected last year when Shubhanshu Shukla, a Group Captain in the Indian Air Force, conducted a series of microgravity experiments during a 20-day stay aboard the International Space Station (ISS) between June and July. The experiments, ranging from muscle regeneration to space farming, were developed by ISRO in collaboration with Indian scientists from leading research institutions.
