5 Minute Healthtech Jargon Buster: Space Medicine

by Eve Okubadejo, Research and Communications Associate

Space Medicine is a fast-emerging subfield of medicine that focuses on the health of astronauts in space. It encompasses both preventative medicine and medical treatment as well as research into how space travel impacts the human body (due to the extreme environmental conditions). Such field is important as it ensures the safety of astronauts travelling to space, consequently enabling the study of space and how different mechanisms operate in space compared to on Earth.

As humans venture beyond Earth’s protective atmosphere, a series of challenges are faced by astronauts such as microgravity and psychological stress from isolation. Unlike life on Earth, where gravity governs all our physiological process, in microgravity these processes are altered and can lead to a series of health problems. Scientists are working to mitigate these effects and by conducting research in space, they are also able to apply this research to medicine on Earth. Advances in space medicine are not only critical for astronaut health but also contribute to the development of Medicine on Earth with several examples of health technologies in clinical use that were made after research conducted in space [1].

Space medicine is a continuously evolving field, with new discoveries shaping the future of medicine and human space exploration. Through continued innovation, space medicine may be preparing us for a life beyond Earth.

Where to find out more

Romilly Life Sciences can offer several decades experience leading the validation, regulatory approval and implementation of novel technologies for healthcare by drawing on existing knowledge across diverse sectors, from aviation to patient monitoring, radar to breast cancer detection or even space medicine to back here on Earth.

To find out how you can reach patients faster, backed by compelling evidence, contact us.

References

1. Shirah, B., Bukhari, H., Pandya, S., & Ezmeirlly, H. A. (2023). Benefits of Space Medicine Research for Healthcare on Earth. Cureus, 15(5), e39174. https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.39174

2. Sui, J., Lin, Z., Azizpour, S., Chen, F., Gaur, S., Keene, K., Soleimani, F., Bhowmick, T., Rafique, Z., & Javanmard, M. (2024). Clinical evaluation of a fully electronic microfluidic white blood cell analyzer. PloS one, 19(1), e0296344. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0296344         https://www.esa.int/Science_Exploration/Human_and_Robotic_Exploration/From_Antarctica_to_space_telemedicine_at_the_limit#:~:text=ESA%20is%20working%20with%20Argentina%20to%20test,be%20used%20by%20astronauts%20and%20medical%20teams

3. https://spacelabshealthcare.com/products/diagnostic-cardiology/resting-ecg/cardioexpress-sl18a/

4. https://techport.nasa.gov/projects/96055

5. Scarpa, J., Parazynski, S., & Strangman, G. (2023). Space exploration as a catalyst for medical innovations. Frontiers in medicine, 10, 1226531. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmed.2023.1226531

6. Cheung, H. C., De Louche, C., & Komorowski, M. (2023). Artificial Intelligence Applications in Space Medicine. Aerospace medicine and human performance, 94(8), 610–622. https://doi.org/10.3357/AMHP.6178.2023

7. https://news.cuanschutz.edu/news-stories/keeping-astronauts-healthy-in-space-isnt-easy-new-training-programs-will-prepare-students-to-perform-medicine-while-thousands-of-miles-away-from-earth#:~:text=In%20space%2C%20for%20example%2C%20radiation,language%20both%20literally%20and%20figuratively.

8. Tran, Q. D., Tran, V., Toh, L. S., Williams, P. M., Tran, N. N., & Hessel, V. (2022). Space Medicines for Space Health. ACS medicinal chemistry letters, 13(8), 1231–1247. https://doi.org/10.1021/acsmedchemlett.1c00681

9. https://www.esa.int/ESA_Multimedia/Images/2020/04/Tempus_Pro_telemedicine_device

10. https://www.esa.int/ESA_Multimedia/Images/2019/12/CIMON-2

11. https://humans-in-space.jaxa.jp/en/biz-lab/med-in-space/med/research-in-space/#:~:text=examining%20the%20impact%20of%20the,develop%20the%20necessary%20treatment%20techniques.

12. https://www.emra.org/emresident/article/aerospace-medicine2025.