The world, the universe and us Space 2075: How Humanity Will Live, Work and Make Drugs off-planet | Live Recording at the Royal Society
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Oct 13, 2025 
Join Helen Sharman, the first British astronaut, as she shares her exhilarating journey in space and highlights how weightlessness affects the human body. Irene Di Giulio discusses her work towards making space accessible for astronauts with disabilities, exploring innovative projects like the ESA FLY initiative. Meanwhile, Katie King reveals how microgravity can revolutionize drug manufacturing, potentially leading to at-home cancer treatments. Together, they envision a future where humans thrive in space, leveraging technology for exploration and healthcare.
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First Sensations Of Spaceflight
- Helen Sharman describes first feeling weightless and fluid shifts that make features puffy and cause discomfort during the first hours in orbit.
- She recalls camaraderie with crew and the serene joy of viewing Earth, calling space both intense work and deeply rewarding.
Disability Could Reframe Space Physiology
- Irene Di Giulio frames a testable hypothesis that some physical impairments may adapt better to space physiology than able-bodied norms.
- She is studying a recruited astronaut with a lower-limb amputation to measure whole-body adaptability in orbit.
Microgravity Improves Crystallization
- Katie King explains microgravity removes sedimentation and convection, enabling superior crystallization of proteins and materials.
- That improved crystal quality can transform injectable biologics into concentrated, at-home formulations.