French space agency CNES has issued a call for a medical imaging system, primarily for diagnostic purposes, to support space station operations and crewed missions to the surfaces of the Moon and Mars.
The Multimodal Imaging for Space Exploration call is being carried out within the CNES Spaceship FR initiative. Introduced in 2018, the Spaceship FR initiative aims to develop key technologies for future crewed missions to the Moon and Mars, concentrating on essential areas like habitats, energy generation and storage, and in-situ resource utilization.
One of the most advanced projects being developed through the Spaceship FR initiative is a European intravehicular activity spacesuit. An initial study for the project was completed in early 2024 by Spartan Space, the Institute of Space Medicine and Physiology, and the sporting goods retailer Decathlon. Earlier this month, CNES published a call for the development of an early prototype of the spacesuit that will be flight-tested aboard the International Space Station by 2027.
On 24 October, CNES added the Multimodal Imaging for Space Exploration project as the latest initiative under the Spaceship FR umbrella. According to the call, discussions have already begun on developing a “Medipod,” a modular medical facility for future crewed bases on the Moon and Mars. A primary component of the Medipod will be a multimodal imaging system designed for diagnostic purposes and, potentially, for interventions, depending on technological feasibility.
CNES has outlined four main objectives for the study, scheduled to run from 2024 to 2026 following the contract award. The first objective is to assess the current state of medical imaging and specific needs for long-duration exploration missions. Next, the study will establish requirements for adapting imaging tools to space environments. The third objective focuses on an architectural study of a multimodal imaging system customized for space applications, followed by a final phase that will outline a roadmap for the development of the system.
