Syllabus: Science and Technology – developments and their applications and effects in everyday life
Overview of Space Research Spinoffs
- Space exploration has generated healthcare spinoffs improving diagnostics, treatment, and service delivery on Earth.
- NASA has documented 2,000+ technologies since 1976 benefiting civilian medical applications.
- ISRO, with a smaller budget, transferred 350+ technologies to Indian industries, including biomedical sectors.
- ISRO’s annual budget stands at ₹13,416 crore, around 6% of NASA’s allocation.
Diagnostics and Medical Imaging Innovations
- Digital image processing in ultrasound, CT, MRI, and mammography originated from planetary image analysis.
- NASA developed contrast enhancement, noise reduction, segmentation, and fusion techniques for low-signal medical imaging.
- Engineers refined edge detection, deblurring, and filtering while analysing lunar and planetary data.
- Infrared ear thermometers evolved from stellar temperature measurement technologies.
Wearables and Point-of-Care Technologies
- Astronaut bio-telemetry systems inspired modern heart rate, ECG, respiration, and movement monitors.
- Lab-on-chip blood analysers were developed for testing in microgravity environments.
- Smart garments with strain gauges and accelerometers originated from space-suit biomonitoring systems.
Telemedicine, Logistics, and Public Health
- Satellite-based telemedicine supports healthcare delivery in remote and disaster-prone regions.
- Earth-observation data enables global disease surveillance and epidemiological mapping.
- Solar-powered vaccine refrigerators emerged from off-grid space field operations.
- Drone-based medical deliveries rely on satellite navigation developed through space missions.
Devices, Rehabilitation, and Advanced Materials
- Ventricular Assist Devices used NASA flow-dynamics for compact, low-shear blood pump designs.
- ISRO developed a titanium heart pump in 2016, capable of pumping 3–5 litres per minute.
- Cochlear implant patent in 1977 was supported by NASA research assistance.
- Space materials improved prosthetics, orthoses, and antimicrobial clinical surfaces.
- Space blankets and scratch-resistant lenses became widely used medical and consumer safety products.
Healthcare Systems and Clinical Applications
- Astronaut studies informed osteoporosis, muscle atrophy, and cardiovascular deconditioning treatments.
- Space radiobiology models guide cancer risk assessment and radiotherapy safety protocols.
- Spacecraft interface designs improved ICU monitoring and operating room alarm systems.