KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla., June 3, 2025 — A new experiment launching to the International Space Station (ISS) on Axiom Mission 4 (Ax-4) aims to improve diabetes management in space and make space travel accessible to more people. Researchers will test the accuracy of glucose monitors and the stability of insulin aboard the ISS. The goal is to one day support astronauts who have insulin-dependent diabetes on long-duration missions.
The project, called Suite Ride, is sponsored by the ISS National Lab and involves a partnership between Axiom Space and Burjeel Holdings PLC, a healthcare provider based in the United Arab Emirates. According to the International Diabetes Federation, nearly 590 million adults worldwide live with diabetes, a number expected to grow to over 780 million by 2045.
“People with insulin-dependent diabetes have traditionally been excluded from flying to low Earth orbit,” said Alex Rubin, medical operations lead at Axiom Space. “Our main goal is to show that diabetes can be accurately monitored and treated in microgravity, which could allow crew members with this condition to fly in the future.”
The team will send several commercial glucose monitors to the ISS. These devices measure glucose levels, including one that uses interstitial fluid — the fluid between body cells. Because microgravity causes fluid shifts in the body, the team wants to see if these changes affect the monitors’ accuracy.
“We want to prove that the monitors work reliably in space, or if there is a difference, that we can adjust for it,” Rubin said.
The study will also examine how insulin holds up in microgravity. Previous tests found insulin pens can deliver accurate doses during spaceflight. For this project, various types of insulin will be sent to the ISS. Some will be kept at room temperature, while others will be refrigerated. The samples will be tested after they return to Earth to check for any effects caused by microgravity.
If successful, this research could allow astronauts with diabetes to join future space missions. It may also improve diabetes care for people living in remote areas on Earth.
“If we can send data from a glucose monitor in space to a doctor on the ground in near real time, this could be used for telemedicine in remote places on Earth,” Rubin said. “If it works in space, it could work on an oil rig or other isolated locations.”
Rubin noted how far diabetes treatment has come. “There was a time when people with diabetes were told they couldn’t do certain things. Today, they play in the NFL, race cars, and do many things once thought impossible. The next frontier is human spaceflight.”
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