ESA partners with UK startup to create pocket-sized eye scanner for deep-space crews

The European Space Agency has hired British firm Siloton to develop a miniature retinal scanner that could monitor astronauts' vision on long-duration missions.

In preparation for Artemis lunar flights and future deep-space voyages, the European Space Agency commissioned Siloton to create a coin-sized retinal imaging system that can operate in spacecraft. The startup’s quantum photonic chip, originally designed for at-home screening of retinal diseases with the UK’s National Health Service, will be ruggedized for zero-gravity use and automated to reduce reliance on Earth-based experts.

Spaceflight-associated neuro-ocular syndrome, which has impaired vision in roughly 70 % of crew members on the International Space Station, prompted the effort after cases like astronaut John Phillips, whose eyesight fell from 20/20 to 20/100 after a six-month stay. ESA officials, including UK Space Agency director Rebecca Evernden, view the project as a way to collect more data and potentially flag eye changes before they affect performance.

Technical hurdles include battery safety, device placement without a chin rest, and ensuring reliable operation for younger, fully sighted astronauts. Siloton’s co-founder and CTO Euan Allen stresses confidence, noting the system is already being tested on elderly patients with visual impairments.