Commercial Space Flight & Partnerships
Where Medicine Meets the Final Frontier
The frontier of human space exploration is expanding rapidly, and UTHealth Houston’s Space Medicine Section is at the forefront of shaping how clinicians, researchers, and medical innovators contribute to that future.
Through strategic collaborations with leaders in commercial aerospace, we help translate cutting‑edge research into real‑world mission impact. These partnerships provide immersive opportunities for our fellows, trainees, and faculty to engage directly with operational planning, health systems design, astronaut wellness, and medical risk mitigation for both orbital and suborbital missions.
By embedding clinical expertise within the evolving commercial space industry, we are helping define the role of medicine in tomorrow’s exploration, ensuring that human health and safety remain central to every mission.
Industry Collaborations
The field of human spaceflight is rapidly evolving, with commercial companies playing an increasingly critical role in advancing exploration, research, and astronaut health. Unlike traditional government programs, commercial spaceflight companies are pioneering new approaches to mission planning, spacecraft development, and operational health monitoring.
The Space Medicine Fellowship at UTHealth Houston provides fellows with direct exposure to these cutting‑edge programs, preparing them to meet the unique medical challenges of both orbital and suborbital missions. Through these partnerships, fellows engage in operational planning, risk mitigation, and development of clinical protocols for astronauts, while observing the integration of research, technology, and human performance optimization in real‑world spaceflight operations.
By collaborating with industry leaders, our fellows gain firsthand experience in the commercial spaceflight sector, participating in multidisciplinary projects that intersect medicine, engineering, and aerospace operations. This exposure equips them with the skills necessary to contribute to a rapidly growing field where the demands of space exploration require innovation, adaptability, and clinical expertise.
Our Collaborators
Jaime Mateus, PhD
As SpaceX’s Manager of Space Medicine, Dr. Jaime Mateus leads the medical and health aspects of human spaceflight operations, integrating research, data, and operational experience to ensure astronaut safety and prepare for long‑duration missions. He oversees medical evaluations, astronaut training, in‑flight support for SpaceX missions, and the development of medical systems for spacecraft platforms such as Dragon and Starship.
Dana Levin, MD, MPH
Dr. Dana Levin is a board‑certified Aerospace and Emergency Medicine physician with extensive experience in medical system development for human spaceflight. He has served as Systems Engineering and Integration Physician for NASA’s Human Research Program and contributed to exploration medical capability developments. Currently, Dr. Levin supports NASA’s Earth Independent Medical Operations and serves as Flight Surgeon for VAST Space, advancing medical readiness for future commercial missions.
What This Means for Fellows & Learners
These commercial partnerships offer meaningful, mission‑connected experiences that support training goals:
- Immersive exposure to commercial mission environments
- Hands‑on involvement in operational planning and medical system design
- Professional networking with aerospace leaders
- Translational experience where clinical medicine meets aerospace operations
Students and fellows can complement these experiences with research, simulation work, and collaboration across disciplines, helping them build both clinical and aerospace expertise.