Medspace: Setting sights high for interplanetary health kits

Just over a week after Richard Branson flew to the edge of space, fellow billionaire Jeff Bezos set-off on his own high-stakes trip onboard Blue Origin's Shepard Rocket. The trip was a success, with Bezos going down in history for taking part in the first unpiloted flight with a civilian crew.

With the flight including the youngest and oldest people to fly to space, the trip surpassed many milestones for Bezos and his team. But with space tourism now becoming a reality for likes of Richard Branson and Jeff Bezos, is the way we perceive space travel about to change?

Considering this issue is Juliette Clark, a recent Product Design Engineering graduate from Brunel Design School who has designed Medspace - a medicine management kit for exploration class missions in space.

"I was inspired to do this project because in the next two decades, astronaut missions will expand to deeper space, taking astronauts to Mars," said Juliette.

"These exploration class missions are a key driver for science discovery, technological innovations, and downstream benefits for the economy. Astronaut health management during space exploration is crucial, as both the well-being of astronauts and the mission target are at stake."

With deep space exploration taking place in the future, Juliette's solution focuses on the three following areas:

+ Improving the user experience for medication accessibility in a micro-gravity environment

+ Environmental and radiation protection for the medication

+ Providing an organised and space efficient medical kit system solution

Dr Vanja Garaj, Director of Research for Brunel Design School, said: "The prospects of space travel becoming a routine open up the whole new world of opportunities for designers to address the practical needs of space tourists on such trips. Juliette's project is a perfect example of where design will be going next and yet another highly successful demonstration of our students' forward-thinking."

Related Links
Brunel University London
Space Medicine Technology and Systems

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