Agnirva Space Premier League - Expedition #32462: Insulin in Orbit: Managing Diabetes During Spaceflight

Imagine managing a chronic condition like diabetes on a spacecraft millions of miles from Earth. That’s the challenge addressed by the Spaceflight Use of Insulin, Tests, and Equipment experiment aboard the ISS.

Led by Dr. John Marshall of Axiom Space, this study explored how insulin and its associated medical devices behave in space. During Expedition 73, researchers assessed insulin stability, delivery mechanisms, and glucose monitoring technologies under microgravity conditions.

Diabetes management requires precise dosing and stable storage of insulin—factors potentially impacted by temperature fluctuations, radiation, and the absence of gravity. This research tested insulin degradation over time, functionality of insulin pens and pumps, and accuracy of glucose meters in orbit.

Why is this important? As space missions grow longer, it’s critical to ensure that crew members with manageable conditions like diabetes can participate. By validating medical protocols for space, we move closer to making space travel accessible to a broader population.

This study marks a key step in the evolving field of space medicine, ensuring that human health can be managed effectively—even in orbit.

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