We all know that space travel isn't only expensive but also dangerous. If people are sent to Mars, scientists must understand the effects that living in space will pose to the human body. The so-called “puffy-head, bird-legs” syndrome exists, that manifests itself when, because of zero gravity conditions, blood flow is no longer pulled to the legs, and therefore, the astronaut’s head is filled with fluid.
NASA and ESA teamed up to conduct a bed rest study to determine how the body adapts to weightlessness. The space agencies announced that they're looking for two dozen volunteers to spend 60 days laying down to help scientists understand how space travel will affect astronauts. The participants will be paid 16,500 euros (over $18,500) and will have to travel to Cologne, Germany.
Twenty-four selected participants will travel to the German Aerospace Centre (DLR) to stay in bed for 60 days. There are, however, some requirements for the volunteers that need to be met – they have to be between the age of 24 and 55, healthy and speak German. The research will start in September and will take up a total of 89 days, as, before their time in bed, the participants will be given five days of familiarization. Upon completion of the two-month bed-bound study, they'll undergo 14 days of rehabilitation, the same as the real astronauts do.
During the bed rest period, they'll be required to do everything while lying down – from eating to going to the bathroom. Participants will be able to watch television, will be provided with reading material and other activities, while the organizers of the study are actively encouraging people to take up online courses and learn new skills. During their rest, the volunteers will lay down with their legs slightly higher than heads to reduce blood flow to the extremities. That will impose muscle deterioration, akin to that experienced by real astronauts in space.
One half will visit a centrifuge in a laboratory from time to time. The centrifuge acts as an artificial gravity chamber, as its spinning rig simulates gravity, pushing blood toward the participants’ lower extremities. That will help scientists see whether the simulator was in any way helpful of minimizing the effects of lying down in one position for a prolonged period.