Bengaluru: The 64th annual conference of the Indian Society of Aerospace Medicine (ISAM) convened specialists, aircrew, scientists and researchers at the Institute of Aerospace Medicine in the city on 20–21 November. The event was inaugurated by Air Chief Marshal A.P. Singh, Chief of the Air Staff, who outlined the growing importance of advanced medical innovation in aviation and space operations. This year’s theme, “Innovations in Aerospace Medicine: Infinite Possibilities,” set the direction for wide-ranging discussions on emerging tools that enhance aircrew safety while meeting the demanding operational environments they face.

The two-day meet brought together delegates from the armed forces, civil aviation, medical research and aerospace development sectors. Representatives from DRDO, HAL and ISRO joined experts from training establishments and academic institutions to discuss the expanding role of aerospace medicine in India’s defence and space ecosystem.

Aircrew safety and astronaut readiness in focus

In his presidential address, Air Marshal Sandeep Thareja emphasised how aerospace medicine remains integral to aviation safety and mission capability. As India strengthens its human spaceflight programme, he said, aerospace medicine will be vital in sustaining astronaut health, improving physiological resilience, and supporting long-duration missions beyond Earth’s atmosphere.

Thareja highlighted that the discipline is evolving from purely clinical applications to a strategic enabler in national aerospace ambitions. He noted that India’s expanding flight operations—both military and civilian—demand enhanced training systems, precise physiological monitoring, and innovative medical countermeasures against the stresses of high-altitude and high-acceleration flight.

Memorial orations honour pioneers

Two prestigious memorial orations marked the conference’s intellectual depth and historical continuity.
The Air Marshal Subroto Mukherjee Memorial Oration, named after the first Indian Chief of the Air Staff, was delivered by historian Anchit Gupta. His address traced India’s early aviation development and the foundational role aerospace medicine played in shaping aircrew capabilities during the formative decades of the Air Force.

The Air Vice Marshal M.M. Srinagesh Memorial Oration, honouring the figure known as the father of aviation medicine in India, was delivered by Air Vice Marshal (Retd.) Deepak Gaur. He spoke about the discipline’s evolution over the decades, detailing Srinagesh’s contributions in establishing operational protocols, aeromedical training structures and research frameworks that continue to guide modern practice.

Panel highlights industry–operations alignment

The Jemi Hormusji Framji Manekshaw Panel added perspectives from aerospace industry leaders, operational commanders and training specialists. Discussions centred on strengthening collaboration between medical scientists, engineers, and flight operators to address real-world challenges such as pilot fatigue, cockpit ergonomics, sustained acceleration effects, decompression incidents and the physiological stresses of high-altitude deployments.

Speakers noted that with increasing automation and the future integration of unmanned and optionally manned aircraft, aerospace medicine must adapt quickly to new cockpit designs, extended mission profiles and evolving human–machine interfaces.

Research sessions cover wide scientific themes

Across scientific sessions, researchers and medical officers presented studies on:

  • aircrew simulation and advanced training technologies
  • operational aerospace medicine and in-flight risk mitigation
  • spaceflight physiology and countermeasures
  • high-altitude acclimatisation and hypoxia prevention
  • clinical updates in aviation-related medical care

Presentations also focused on creating improved screening tools for aircrew selection, wearable monitoring systems for real-time assessment, artificial intelligence–based predictive models and enhanced escape and survival systems for combat aviators.

Strengthening India’s aerospace medical capacity

Delegates emphasised that India’s aerospace landscape—ranging from military aviation to commercial air mobility, and from high-altitude operations to human spaceflight—requires a unified medical strategy backed by research, global collaboration and robust training. The conference concluded with renewed commitment to integrating innovation, safety, and scientific excellence as India advances towards more complex aerial and space missions.