A combination of exercise and artificial gravity may lessen
negative effects of weightlessness in space.
(July 2, 2015) Astronauts on the International Space Station (ISS) have a
number of exercise options, including a mechanical bicycle bolted to the floor,
a weightlifting machine strapped to the wall, and a strap-down treadmill. They
spend a significant portion of each day working out to ward off the long-term
effects of weightlessness, but many still suffer bone loss, muscle atrophy, and
issues with balance and their cardiovascular systems.
To counteract such debilitating effects, research groups
around the world are investigating artificial gravity — the notion that
astronauts, exposed to strong centrifugal forces, may experience the effects of
gravity, even in space. Engineers have been building and testing human
centrifuges — spinning platforms that, at high speeds, generate G-forces strong
enough to mimic gravity. An astronaut, riding in a centrifuge, would presumably
feel gravity’s reinforcing effects.