Redcliffe Labs and Skyroot Aerospace have partnered to explore the future of diagnostics in space.
The collaboration brings together diagnostic science and space technology to study how diagnostic reagents perform under the extreme conditions of low Earth orbit (LEO), while exploring how the learnings could advance diagnostics on Earth.
The first initiative, DRIFT-1, will place Redcliffe Labs’ dry diagnostic reagents in LEO for 90 days, alongside an identical ground-based control. Comparing the two sets will help researchers assess how the space environment affects reagent stability and performance while generating flight-heritage data for the technology.
The partnership extends beyond the first mission, with potential applications in space-enabled diagnostics, astronaut health, life sciences and microgravity research. It could also support the development of point-of-care diagnostic solutions for future human spaceflight missions, including Gaganyaan and the proposed Bharatiya Antariksh Station.
For Redcliffe Labs, the collaboration is also an opportunity to translate insights from space research into more resilient diagnostic technologies for challenging environments on Earth, including settings where conventional infrastructure or cold-chain availability is limited.
“The most transformative breakthroughs often happen at the intersection of disciplines that rarely come together,” said Dheeraj Jain, chairman & co-founder, Redcliffe Labs.
“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. More importantly, this partnership reflects the growing confidence that India’s scientific and innovation ecosystem can bring together diverse capabilities to solve complex global challenges,” he added.
Aditya Kandoi, founder and CEO, Redcliffe Labs, said space offers one of the most demanding environments for testing any technology and is “an extraordinary laboratory for innovation in diagnostics.”
He said the collaboration will allow the company to study how its diagnostic technologies perform in orbit and apply those learnings to develop more resilient diagnostic solutions for challenging environments on Earth.
“If we can build diagnostics that withstand the rigours of space, we can create more resilient technologies that improve access to reliable healthcare in some of the most challenging environments on Earth,” he said.
Pawan Kumar Chandana, co-founder & CEO, Skyroot Aerospace, said the partnership with Redcliffe Labs is a first step towards keeping astronauts healthier in orbit.
Aditya Kandoi, founder and CEO, Redcliffe Lab; Pawan Kumar Chandana, co-founder & CEO, Skyroot Aerospace; and Dheeraj Jain, chairman & co-founder, Redcliffe Labs.
