Abu Dhabi, Kennedy Space Center: As Axiom-4 (Ax-4), a historic mission to the International Space Station (ISS), launches with India as a key participating nation for the first time in over four decades, it’s a proud moment for the Malayali community. Among the mission’s highlights is the launch of an innovative diabetes research initiative named “Suite Ride”, conceived by renowned healthcare entrepreneur Dr. Shamsheer Vayalil.Developed in collaboration with Axiom Space by Burjeel Holdings, where Dr. Shamsheer serves as founder and chairman, the Suite Ride project will facilitate advanced diabetes research in microgravity—paving the way for breakthroughs in overcoming the limitations of diabetes both in space and on Earth. Conducted with support from agencies including NASA, this research could potentially eliminate existing barriers for diabetic patients to participate in space missions and revolutionize treatment for chronic illnesses such as diabetes on Earth.
The mission crew, which includes India’s Subhanshu, will spend 14 days aboard the ISS. During this period, a team of medical experts will study how glucose metabolism functions in microgravity.
“This is a proud moment. The idea of Suite Ride was born from the belief that conditions like diabetes should not stand in the way of our dreams,” said Dr. Shamsheer after the successful launch at Kennedy Space Center. “As science progresses, so should our aspirations. The findings from this study could benefit not just future astronauts but millions of patients here on Earth.”
According to the World Health Organization, India currently has 77 million adults living with Type 2 diabetes, and another 25 million are at risk of developing the disease in the near future—underscoring the importance of this research.
Today, diabetic patients face significant medical and logistical challenges in participating in space travel. Suite Ride aims to understand how glucose regulation is affected in non-diabetic individuals under microgravity, which will serve as a foundation to assess how diabetics might respond—potentially opening the door for diabetic astronauts in future missions.
The Ax-4 crew also includes veteran NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson (Commander), Slawosz Uznanski from Poland (Mission Specialist), and Tibor Kapu from Hungary (Mission Specialist). As part of the mission, over 60 experiments will be conducted involving contributions from 31 countries.
