Updated

Updated · WIRED · Aug 10

ESA Commissions Siloton for Quantum Eye Scanner as 70% of ISS Astronauts Face Vision Syndrome

Updated

Updated · WIRED · Aug 10

ESA Commissions Siloton for Quantum Eye Scanner as 70% of ISS Astronauts Face Vision Syndrome

Q: Without using batteries, how will deep-space explorers power the tiny device designed to protect their vision from microgravity?

It has not been decided yet. ESA and Siloton say powering the scanner without batteries is still an unresolved engineering problem, because batteries are considered a fire risk aboard spacecraft. What is clear is the design direction: the retinal scanner is being built around photonic chips that shrink the hardware and cut power demand, making it more feasible to run from a spacecraft’s existing electrical system rather than from an internal battery. In practice, that points to a wired connection to cabin power or another spacecraft power interface, but the article does not report a final power architecture. That uncertainty matters because the device is meant for deep-space crews who may need to monitor their own eyes without live guidance from Earth. Current eye-scanning equipment is bulky and ground-assisted, while Siloton’s miniature system aims to be compact, automated and reliable in zero gravity. ESA says solving the power issue is part of making the scanner safe and practical for long missions, where astronauts face a high risk of spaceflight-associated neuro-ocular syndrome, or SANS, which affects about 70 percent of ISS astronauts according to NASA.

1 articles · Updated · WIRED · Aug 10

Siloton will build a coin-sized photonic eye scanner for ESA to monitor astronauts’ retinas more frequently on Artemis and other deep-space missions.
Around 70% of International Space Station astronauts develop spaceflight-associated neuro-ocular syndrome, a low-gravity condition that can swell the optic nerve, distort the retina and impair vision.
Current ISS eye-testing gear is bulky and needs real-time guidance from Earth, a setup ESA says will be impractical as communication delays grow farther from Earth.
The new system aims to automate scans, flag early eye changes before vision worsens and fit spacecraft limits on power, fire risk and head positioning in zero gravity.
Siloton, founded in 2020, is also adapting the same quantum imaging technology for NHS patients to self-scan at home, linking space research to terrestrial eye care.