Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla of the Indian Air Force has made history, becoming India’s second astronaut to travel to space, nearly 40 years after Rakesh Sharma’s 1984 mission. Shukla launched aboard SpaceX’s Crew Dragon spacecraft on a Falcon 9 rocket from the same NASA launchpad used by Apollo 11 in 1969.
Part of the Axiom-4 mission to the International Space Station (ISS), Shukla’s journey carries special significance beyond national pride; it may help pave the way for diabetics to one day travel to space.
Also Read | Late puberty may raise type 2 diabetes risk in boys: new research
During the mission, UAE-based Burjeel Holdings and Axiom Space are conducting the “Suite Ride” experiment, studying how glucose and insulin behave in microgravity. Astronauts will wear continuous glucose monitors for 14 days and will also carry insulin pens in varying temperature conditions to examine insulin stability.
“We want to see if blood sugar levels change in space,” said Dr. Mohammad Fityan, Chief Medical Officer at Burjeel Holdings. The research could lead to wearable tech for astronauts and bedridden patients on Earth, as well as advanced diabetes care tools.
At present, NASA does not allow insulin-dependent diabetics to fly in space, although there are no formal restrictions for non-insulin-dependent diabetics. No astronaut with diabetes has yet flown.
“This research has the potential to transform spaceflight opportunities for those with insulin-dependent diabetes. We are hoping that if we learn something about the metabolism or the effect, we will bring some information and we can do something for our patients on Earth,” Fityan said. It may also help develop new remote monitoring platforms and AI-based predictive tools for diabetes care, both for astronauts and for patients on Earth.
