Entrepreneurs looking to address health issues in space have the opportunity to participate in a new accelerator program launched by Starburst Aerospace, with support from NASA and Microsoft. This accelerator, called SPACE-H, aims to develop commercial technologies that will allow for more human activity in space, as well as create revenue opportunities in terrestrial markets. Investors involved in building commercial low Earth orbit (LEO) destinations, space tourism businesses, or the cis-lunar economy should take note of this initiative.
SPACE-H aims to address some of the challenges that come with human activity in space, such as health and performance monitoring. Elizabeth Reynolds, a managing director at Starburst leading the accelerator, emphasized the need for autonomous systems that can cater to a broader range of human genetics and behaviors. Currently, space health data is limited to the approximately 650 individuals who have traveled to space, many of whom have similar health profiles due to their selection for the astronaut program.
The accelerator is interested in companies that are developing autonomous systems for monitoring astronaut health, as well as compact medical devices, unique sensors, computational biology projects, and novel pharmaceutical manufacturing techniques to improve space health. Dr. Rihana Bokhari from the Translational Research Institute for Space Health (TRISH) expects that autonomous remote medical care for astronauts will also benefit rural healthcare on Earth.
Juan Carlos López, a former NASA engineer now working at Microsoft, expressed interest in start-ups that utilize data with predictive artificial intelligence. Participants in the accelerator will have access to free computing in Microsoft’s Azure cloud
