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Vertical treadmill to improve astronaut health in space

Date: 14-Feb-08
Author: NASA Johnson Space Center

NASA is using a new treadmill that allows people to run while suspended horizontally to help astronauts prepare for long-duration missions to the moon and beyond.

A team of engineers at NASA's Glenn Research Center in Cleveland built the Standalone Zero Gravity Locomotion Simulator to imitate conditions astronauts experience while exercising in space. Exercise in microgravity helps lessen the harmful health effects of long-duration space travel, promoting astronauts' well-being and mission success.

John Byard, Wyle Research and Test Operations Safety Officer, runs on the Standalone Zero Gravity Locomotion Simulator (sZLS) at the University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB) at Galveston, Texas. James Brent Crowell, right, Wyle exercise physiologist, serves as the operator of the device. Courtesy: NASA Johnson Space Center

NASA currently is sending astronauts on six month missions to the International Space Station and plans to launch humans on missions to the moon by 2020.

Living in weightlessness can lead to aerobic deconditioning, muscle atrophy and bone loss, all of which can affect an astronaut's ability to perform physical tasks. On the International Space Station, crew members exercise daily to help counter the effects of prolonged weightlessness.

Full story: NASA Uses Vertical Treadmill to Improve Astronaut Health in Space