New UAE-led project takes off on Axiom 4 mission to help diabetic astronauts in space

Khaleej Times

7 hours ago

A UAE-based healthcare provider has launched a research project to improve diabetes care in space. The mission took off today aboard Axiom Mission 4 (Ax-4) from NASA's Kennedy Space Centre in Florida.
At the heart of this mission is a pioneering initiative called 'Suite Ride', a collaboration between Abu Dhabi-based Burjeel Holdings and Axiom Space.
This aims to make it possible for people with IDDM (a type of diabetes that requires insulin) to become astronauts — something that has traditionally not been allowed, due to the medical risks involved in managing insulin in space.
Now en route to the International Space Station (ISS), the mission's international four-member crew will spend 14 days conducting vital microgravity research and technology demonstrations. One of the standout efforts is Suite Ride, which could change how we think about diabetes — both on Earth and beyond it.
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' Too often, a diagnosis like diabetes quietly tells people that there are limits now and that certain paths may no longer be open. Over time, this changes how people see themselves and how others see them. Through this collaboration, we want to challenge that thinking and there is no better place to do it than space, the highest frontier we can reach, ' said Dr Shamsheer Vayalil, Founder and Chairman of Burjeel Holdings.
What will Suite Ride do?
Suite Ride will explore the use of Continuous Glucose Monitors (CGMs) in space — devices that are already the gold standard for diabetes care on Earth. Researchers will evaluate how these monitors perform in microgravity, collecting real-time data that could pave the way for astronauts with diabetes to participate in future missions. Additionally, the study will assess how insulin behaves in space, testing its potency and stability during and after the mission.
Dr Mohammad Fityan, Chief Medical Officer at Burjeel Medical City and Clinical Lead for the Burjeel — Ax-4 Space Health Research, is working closely with Axiom's team to analyse data from the mission. His team's findings could have broad implications — not just for space travellers, but for people living with diabetes in remote and underserved regions around the world.
' After months of preparation, we're excited to see our research project take flight aboard Ax-4. We're confident that the valuable insights gained will help improve healthcare access in underserved and hard-to-reach communities around the world, including in the MENA region,' said Dr Fityan.
To celebrate the launch, Burjeel Medical City in Abu Dhabi has unveiled a special exhibition showcasing Suite Ride. Focused on the intersection of healthcare and space exploration, the display invites the UAE public and the scientific community to learn more about this historic endeavour. The initiative has also received recognition from the UAE Embassy in Washington, D.C., which hailed Suite Ride as a milestone in the country's growing role in human spaceflight.
According to the International Diabetes Federation, the number of people living with diabetes is expected to soar to 783 million globally by 2045, with an 87 per cent increase forecasted in the MENA region. As the world braces for this challenge, Suite Ride represents a bold step toward smarter, more inclusive healthcare — no matter how far from Earth we go.
Commanded by veteran NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson, the Ax-4 crew also includes Mission Pilot Shubhanshu Shukla from India, and Mission Specialists Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski from Poland (representing ESA), and Tibor Kapu from Hungary. Throughout their time aboard the ISS, the team will conduct more than 60 experiments spanning 31 countries, pushing the boundaries of science and global collaboration.