Irish technology to keep astronauts fit and healthy in space
Last updated 11/28/2011 9:49:14 AM
Irish technology to keep astronauts fit and healthy in space
A new device that stimulates the large muscles of the legs to produce aerobic exercise training and muscle strengthening effects is to be tested during a parabolic flight by the European Space Agency.
It's hoped the Neuromuscular Electrical Muscle Stimulation Exercise will be used to address how astronauts exercise aerobically in the confines of a spacecraft.
The parabolic flight campaign provides an opportunity to test the novel technology in a zero gravity environment, similar to that experienced on the International Space Station. It was developed through a partnership between University College Dublin and Galway-based Biomedical Research.
"Keeping in shape is always important, but working out in space is even more crucial in order to counteract the detrimental effects of weightlessness," said ESA astronaut Christer Fuglesang."We still have a lot to learn about how the body reacts in space and find the best methods to keep astronauts fit, also when returning to Earth. I'm very pleased that researchers in Ireland are actively participating in this important field, which eventually will help us to send humans all the way to Mars."
Dr Bryan Rodgers, from Enterprise Ireland, added: "Astronauts can be in space for up to 18 months on missions to Mars and on board the International Space Station and so they have to adapt to the specific challenges of life in space such as the absence of gravity, high levels of radiation, and cramped living conditions, which often result in deterioration of the astronauts' heart, muscle and bone condition."