Résumé
Space exploration goes beyond the mere conquest of new territories, it is also a major driver of innovation in the medical field. The space environment, characterized by microgravity or partial gravity, radiations, isolation and confinement, presents significant physiological, psychological and biological challenges for astronauts. To safeguard their health, advanced technological solutions are being developed, ranging from telemedicine to physiological monitoring systems and technologies for assistive diagnostic and care. Space challenges and constraints and the related R&D are thus a driver and an accelerator for health innovations that may benefit both for space and health on earth, especially for extreme and remote environments where access to healthcare is limited. Moreover, space-derived technologies and data, particularly thanks to observation, geolocalisation and communication satellites, play a crucial role in public health. They can contribute to early health warning and epidemiological surveillance, to the detection of environmental risks affecting human health, and the improvement of remote healthcare access, especially in isolated areas. In France, the National Centre for Space Studies (CNES) and the Institute for Space Medicine and Physiology (MEDES) are key players in these advancements. In collaboration with scientific and industrial communities, they actively contribute to research and the development of new medical technologies tailored to the challenges of space exploration while being transferable to terrestrial applications. Thanks to these efforts, space has become a laboratory for medical innovation, with benefits extending not only to astronauts but also to populations on Earth facing similar health challenges. (c) 2025 l'Academie nationale de medecine. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights are reserved, including those for text and data mining, AI training, and similar technologies.