Understanding health from above

Alex begins by asking where satellite technology can make the biggest difference to healthcare today. For Eli, there are three immediate opportunities.

The first is understanding the environmental factors that affect health. As she explains, satellite data can help us better understand air pollution, heat alerts and wider environmental conditions that influence population health.

"How does it play into all of these factors that are directly relevant to things like cardiovascular disease, respiratory illness – that sort of bigger population health factors?"

With extreme temperatures becoming more common, the panel discusses how Earth observation could help health systems identify emerging risks and better understand how environmental conditions affect different communities.

The second opportunity is access to care. Eli points to rural communities and locations where traditional communications infrastructure cannot reach.

"If terrestrial systems can't physically reach places, then the answer has to be to look into how satellites can do that job for us."

The third is supporting the continued growth of virtual care, ensuring patients can remain connected to healthcare services wherever they live.

Connecting environmental and health data

The conversation then explores how satellite information could be combined with existing health datasets to improve understanding of population health. Rather than replacing NHS data, the panel sees satellite information as another source of evidence that can strengthen decision-making.

Phil reflects on the opportunity to bring together environmental information with existing health records, helping organisations better understand how factors such as pollution, climate and geography influence health outcomes across different populations.

The discussion also highlights the importance of secure data environments and appropriate governance. The opportunity lies not simply in collecting more information, but in linking existing datasets safely so that researchers and public bodies can generate new insights while protecting patient confidentiality.

Throughout the conversation, the emphasis remains on using data to support prevention as well as treatment.

From space to the clinic

Perhaps the most surprising part of the discussion comes when Alex asks how space itself can contribute to healthcare innovation.

Viktor explains that microgravity provides researchers with conditions that cannot be recreated on Earth. Proteins form differently in space, making it easier to study their structure and develop more effective medicines. The panel also discusses how this research is already influencing cancer treatment.

Viktor explains that moving from intravenous chemotherapy to subcutaneous injections has the potential to transform the patient experience.

"We're talking upwards of four hours for many chemotherapy sessions."

By contrast, newer subcutaneous therapies can be delivered much more quickly, reducing the amount of time patients spend receiving treatment and releasing valuable clinical capacity. As Phil and Eli discuss, the benefits extend beyond convenience; reducing treatment time means fewer hours spent in chemotherapy chairs, greater flexibility for patients and more efficient use of healthcare resources, with the longer-term ambition of enabling more treatments to be delivered closer to home.

Building the capability to use space

Towards the end of the discussion, the conversation shifts from individual use cases to the wider question of how public services should organise themselves to take advantage of space technologies. Phil raises the idea of whether the UK should think more strategically about shared capability, rather than individual organisations developing separate approaches.

Eli builds on this by suggesting the concept of a National Satellite Service that could provide trusted infrastructure, data and research capability across multiple public services.

The discussion is not about creating technology for its own sake. Instead, it considers how shared capability could make it easier for organisations to access satellite data, support research and develop applications that benefit healthcare and other public services.

As the conversation concludes, Alex reflects that many of the opportunities discussed already exist in some form today. The challenge is understanding where satellite technology adds genuine value and how it can be integrated alongside clinical expertise, existing data and healthcare delivery.

The PSC exists to make public services brilliant. In our new podcast mini-series, we're exploring whether space and satellite technology can solve some of the public sector's biggest challenges. If you want to discuss any topics explored in this series further, get in touch with Phil Buckley – we'd love to have a conversation.