Redcliffe Labs and Skyroot Aerospace join hands to explore diagnostics in space

The collaboration could pave the way for wider applications in space-enabled diagnostics, astronaut health, life sciences and microgravity research

Redcliffe Labs and Skyroot Aerospace have announced a pioneering collaboration to explore how diagnostic technologies perform in the extreme environment of Low Earth Orbit (LEO), bringing together India’s healthcare and private space ecosystems.

The partnership will initially focus on DRIFT-1, a mission that will place Redcliffe Labs’ dry diagnostic reagents in LEO for 90 days alongside an identical ground-based control. 

By comparing the performance of the reagents exposed to the space environment with those maintained on Earth, the initiative aims to assess changes in reagent stability and performance and generate a flight-heritage dataset for future applications.

The collaboration could pave the way for wider applications in space-enabled diagnostics, astronaut health, life sciences and microgravity research. It may also support the development of future point-of-care diagnostic solutions for human spaceflight missions, including Gaganyaan and the proposed Bharatiya Antariksh Station.

For Redcliffe Labs, the initiative is also aimed at translating insights from space research into more resilient diagnostic technologies for use on Earth, particularly in challenging environments where conventional healthcare infrastructure and cold-chain facilities may be limited.

“The most transformative breakthroughs often happen at the intersection of disciplines that rarely come together. By bringing together Redcliffe Labs' expertise in diagnostics and Skyroot Aerospace's leadership in space technology, we are opening a new frontier for scientific research and innovation,” said Dheeraj Jain, Chairman & Co-Founder, Redcliffe Labs.

Aditya Kandoi, Founder & CEO, Redcliffe Labs, said space represents one of the most demanding environments for testing technology and that the collaboration will allow the company to understand how its diagnostic technologies perform in orbit. He added that learnings from the initiative could contribute to developing more resilient diagnostic solutions for challenging environments on Earth.

Pawan Kumar Chandana, Co-Founder & CEO, Skyroot Aerospace, said the partnership demonstrates the kind of applications that can emerge as access to space expands, adding that Skyroot’s collaboration with Redcliffe Labs represents a first step towards supporting astronaut health through space-based diagnostics.