From the moon to MRIs: how space research has transformed healthcare on earth

Many of us may not be aware of healthcare spinoffs that come about as a byproduct of space exploration. A significant number of them, however, have contributed to better healthcare here on earth.

Under the United States’ space programme, NASA, there are over 2,000 such spinoffs profiled since 1976, in which NASA technologies have benefited life on earth in the form of commercial products. India too, has made some progress in this regard. While ISRO’s current annual budget of ₹13,416 crore is 6% of NASA’s annual budget, over 350 technologies have been transferred to Indian industries, including several in health/biomedical sectors (implants, sensors, medical electronics), through ISRO’s Technology Transfer Programme.

Just a few examples include ISRO’s VSAT terminals and VSAT-enabled mobile medical units to facilitate healthcare delivery in remote locations; an endoscopic catheter mounted impedance probe to assess mucosal health, a capacitive sensor to detect malignancy in leukocytes; the ISRO smart limb – a low-cost bionic limb for amputees, and an artificial polyurethane foot.

Here’s how healthcare applications on earth that are secondary to space exploration, developed.

Diagnostics and imaging

Patients and even doctors seldom realise that the digital image processing deployed in ultrasounds, CTs, MRIs and mammography images was initially used in planetary and astronomical image analysis.

NASA technologies improved MRI and CT imaging primarily by providing advanced digital image‑processing, segmentation, and fusion methods that enhance contrast, reduce noise, and help with better distinguishing of tissues, especially at low doses or low signals. These tools originated in processing planetary earth observations, and plasma‑physics data. They were then used in clinical radiology as software and workflow concepts. Engineers at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory and other NASA centres developed digital enhancement techniques (contrast stretching, filtering, deblurring, edge detection) to analyse lunar and planetary images. These were later adapted to improve CT and MRI images, especially in low‑contrast situations. Advanced ultrasound techniques using portable, networked systems, speckle reduction, and elastography algorithms were initially refined on Shuttle Spacecrafts and on board the International Space Station. Infrared ear thermometers using IR sensors and optics were developed for stellar temperature measurement.

Compact blood analysers and miniaturised “lab‑on‑chip” devices used in Point of Care Diagnostics will eventually make available, a sophisticated laboratory in our homes and perhaps even in our pockets. The impetus and initial funding for this research, which today benefits earthlings, came from sheer necessity for blood tests in microgravity situations 400 km above the earth.

Wearables, infection control

The now commonplace wearables, those monitoring heart rate, ECG, respiration and movement, were originally derived from astronaut biotelemetry. Non‑invasive glucose and metabolic monitoring concepts using optical and microwave sensing were initially investigated for in‑flight monitoring. Smart clothes with embedded strain gauges, accelerometers, and ECG electrodes evolved from space‑suit biomonitoring.

Advanced air and water purification systems (HEPA/particulate filters, catalytic oxidizers) were originally designed for closed spacecraft. Microbial monitoring and sterilisation approaches have all been refined in the context of spacecraft contamination control. Antimicrobial and low‑outgassing materials from spacecraft cabins are now used in clinical surfaces, catheters, and implant coatings.

Telemedicine and logistics

Satellite-based telemedicine consultations still play a significant role in remote areas where terrestrial internet may not be available. Satellite communication also facilitates disaster management, teleradiology and specialist support including for the health of astronauts. Global disease surveillance and epidemiological mapping using earth‑observation and satellite data (environmental correlates, vector habitats, disaster impact on health systems) have played a major role in containing global outbreaks.

Solar‑powered vaccine refrigerators and medical coolers developed to support off‑grid space‑related field operations, are now widely used in immunisation programmes. Drone delivery systems for medical supplies rely on satellite navigation and communication. These, too, evolved from space missions.

Devices and interventions

Certain Ventricular Assist Devices were co-developed with NASA flow‑dynamics expertise to create very small, low‑shear blood pumps for management of end‑stage heart failure. Programmable pacemakers and rhythm-management hardware resulted from radiation‑hardened electronics, miniaturisation and power‑management work done for spacecraft.

In 2016, ISRO developed a low-cost heart pump that assists the human heart, notably in cases of left ventricle failure, using lightweight rocket material. This device is composed of a special bio-compatible titanium alloy and can pump 3-5 litres of blood every minute. It has been experimented with successfully on animals, and holds promise for eventual clinical trials. Astronaut exercise hardware gave a fillip to robotic and sensor‑based advanced rehabilitation systems. Prosthetic limbs and orthoses improved, using space shuttle foam‑insulation and composite-material know‑how for lighter, better‑fitting components. In 1977, the first patent for a cochlear implant was with NASA assistance.

Invisible braces are a type of transparent ceramic called translucent polycrystalline alumina (TPA). The company Ceradyne, developed TPA in conjunction with NASA Advanced Ceramics Research, as protection for infrared antennae on heat-seeking missile trackers.

A sunglasses manufacturer, Foster Grant, first licensed a NASA technology for scratch-resistant lenses, developed to protect space equipment from scratching in space, especially helmet visors. Spaceblankets, developed in 1964 for the space programme, are lightweight and reflect infrared radiation. These items are often included in first aid kits. Tech startup BeeHex developed 3D printing systems for food such as pizza, desserts, and icings following a NASA-funded project.

Healthcare applications

Biomechanical and physiological models (bone loss, muscle atrophy, cardiovascular deconditioning) developed from astronaut data, have contributed to current management of osteoporosis, sarcopenia and enforced bed rest. Radiobiology and radiation‑risk models from deep‑space exposure studies help cancer risk assessment and radiotherapy safety. Human factors, alarm fatigue and cockpit‑style interface design methods from spacecraft have been used in intensive care units (ICUs) and operating room monitoring systems.

While the debate about funding space research continues, there is no doubt that investment in space exploration has contributed to better life on earth in a number of ways, particularly in healthcare. For emerging economies in particular, techniques and applications produced by space research can go a long way towards better healthcare delivery and service.

(Dr. K. Ganapathy is a distinguished professor at The Tamil Nadu Dr. MGR Medical University and past president of the Neurological Society of India and the Telemedicine Society of India. drkganapathy@gmail.com)

Published – January 30, 2026 06:00 am IST