Pillownaut Muse

After my follow-up DEXA Bone Scan last winter, and the nice article NASA's Human Research Program published about me and other past pillownauts in preparation for the new simulation protocols, I didn't expect much more to happen. It's been many years since my studies, and my blog is now only rarely updated.

I pondered perhaps "over-hauling" this site to be a #SciComm hub -- but honestly, I think there are so many great existing Science Communication sites, and I will work to amplify those. I figured I'd had my 15 minutes of fame, and decided to leave my old blog "as-is" as a historical record of how I lived through the unique experiences of Space Flight Simulations projects at NASA.

But. Every time I think I'll never hear about it again, another author or press outlet comes knocking. Last time it was Charles Wohlforth, and you should definitely still read his great book, "Beyond Earth: Our Path To a New Home in the Planet." My father was very impressed they devoted more space to me than to Neil Armstrong, so we may have to put that on my tombstone.

Along came Minute Number 16...

Muse Magazine asked to feature my studies and chose the same title, just spelled a bit differently! In "Beyawned Earth," writer Jen Mason compiled many of my past blog excerpts, a few older press turns, and many of my personal photographs from quarantine into an exceptional article designed to teach students about space flight and how it affects the "biological packages" that travel in spacecrafts.

Reading the finished product, I was definitely the happiest I've ever been with an interview. I've had TV and radio stations ask me exhaustingly inappropriate questions; sometimes even reputable outlets go for the sensationalist spin by giving the study clever little [incorrect] nicknames or dwelling on incidental details, like how we manage to shower during simulations, or that we cannot have sugar or caffeine or salt in quarantine. Sure, those things are challenging, but not life-threatening. They pale in the quest for good data.

However, MUSE Magazine hired a skilled and serious writer who truly nailed the science. After literally a decade of interviews in varied formats, and even being featured on the NASA website itself, this was really the first full-length article that revolved around MY OWN WORDS REGARDING MY OWN EXPERIENCES. This is the closest article to what I would have written myself. Maybe someday, some outlet will invite me to do so. Hope springs eternal.

I was gratified that this particular entity put the science in detailed and accurate terms, because it's directed at students and young adults potentially getting started in scholastic concentrations, and beginning to think about choosing majors.

Issue came out in March, and I was thrilled to receive copies by May, after I returned from my 6-week trek in Europe. You can order back issues of Muse Magazine yourself, or subscribe your teens, at Cricket Media.

My entire list of articles has been updated to include the last 2 years.

Space Travel Still Sucks

Even back when "Cracked.com" was all the rage with their irreverent lists, I wasn't always a fan of basic "Internet Top 10" lists. However, once in awhile -- and when my space blog was the hot new thing in the fledgling "Spacetweep" community -- something grabbed me that was worth commentary.

One particular article has remained on my mind through the years, and if you missed it, click graphic to read the:

They weren't wrong. Space travel sucks. Space travel has always sucked. No matter what Elon Musk tries to spin, space travel will indeed continue to suck. Amazingly, most people still say they want to experience it... but upon speaking to them, it's clear that's because even people who truly support space agencies don't always know what it takes to survive off-Earth, and how sick you can become without the comforting gravity in which you evolved.

The saddest-but-truest statement starts out the article with a big bang: "We love movies about space, but are continually bored by actual space travel."

Yeah, we wish.

They drive home the point that even for far-off future generations, space travel may not meet our expectations, because...
6. There is No Sex in Space
5. It'll Be More Like a Submarine Than Star Trek
4. Life in Zero-Gravity is Horrible
3. There's Nothing to See
2. Getting Anywhere Interesting Means Never Going Home
1. In Space, On-Star Won't Do Shit For You

I read the entire article, desperately hoping I could disagree with it. Nope. They nailed it on every count.

Spacebarf: actually the least of your worries.

There is no way to reproduce, so we aren't going anywhere as a group. Cramped quarters, not a cruise ship. Weightlessness messes with your head, your balance, your blood, your muscles (including your heart) and your bones. I know all this first-hand from my spaceflight simulations, which I performed for Johnson Space Center between 2008-2010. At one point while adjusting to micro-gravity, even the fillings in my teeth hurt.

All that just to travel through 99.99% of blackness – perhaps to reach something that will be the last thing you ever see. That's if you make it at all, considering the massive dangers… because you're dead if even the slightest thing goes wrong.

Guys like Bas Lansdorp, Dennis Tito, Richard Branson, Jeff Bezos, Peter Diamandis, and especially Elon Musk just make me roll my eyes. It's all well and good to be rich and visionary about hardware, but they are selling a fantasy.  

I would give anything if even just one of them repeated my spaceflight simulations so that they actually understood what space flight can do to the human body.

They talk like we are leaving for Mars in a year or ten. We aren't. 

Hey, suppose we go to all that trouble... and THIS
is the only thing on the other end of the journey?

Key concept: "Your life depends on your time aboard the starship being skull-crushingly boring."

So apparently, that's the funny part. The unfunny part? Underneath all the hyperbole, the message is clear: We all want the "future" of space travel to get here, but few truly understand the reality of what it takes to get us there. We have to go through many, many downers before we get to the payoff.

Why is all of this on my mind? Once upon a time, I put my body and brain on the line for science. As an astronaut analog, I spent more time in contraptions simulating micro-gravity than most astronauts have spent in actual orbit. The longest any astronauts spent on the Moon was on the Apollo 17 mission, where Gene Cernan and Jack Schmitt were on the lunar surface for 4 days. My lunar study hardware put me in 6% gravity for 7 days. 

I have a 10-year bone density DEXA scan coming up. I'll see if there were any lasting effects from my participation in the study of how leaving Earth gravity affects humans long term.

NASA Bedrest Double Duty

Following updates on the European Space Agency flight simulations, I'm happy to say I see new press about JSC sims too! Rooms in the NASA facility are full again!

Justin Ciaciura of Conroe, Texas completed a 105-day study. 70 days were spent tilted, so he beat my time by a whopping 15 days. I have so much admiration for this dedicated man, who epitomizes the doctors' assurances about the program quality: "We do our best to identify people who are motivated to participate in the study. People don't do this for the money; they have a higher commitment." 

 The money... is... freaking awesome, however: $5,000 per month, which is great if you've just graduated, can't find a job, are between jobs, or just plain love space exploration and want to add to the databanks of scientific and medical knowledge!

So says Justin, "The novelty wears off pretty quick. This is hard work. But knowing you're actually making a contribution to NASA’s space program is very rewarding." 

Why lying down? Well, certain things that happen to the body in the micro-gravity of space also happen identically when one lies down for extended periods. Bones, as measured by DEXA Scans, can lose mineral density and mass, plasma volume can decrease, heart and surrounding muscles can change, and your sense of balance and depth perception, as measured by posturography, can go... what's the technical term? Totally wonky.

These studies seek countermeasures to keep astronauts more healthy, with a mind to reaching Mars someday. That will take 2 years in space, and we have yet to work our astronauts up to 1 year! Adapting to the weightless environment is no easy task. Later, re-adapting to Earth gravity can be equally demanding. So, while grounded from manned flight, these studies are crucial to many space agencies.

Incredibly, while googling for the specs on the newest studies, I found yet another subject in the press, compliments of podcasters Mike Danforth and Ian Chillag. Their Tumblr archive of "How To Do Everything" contains a fantastic recording of "70 Days in Bed with Howard". 

Howard survived the 105-day program at NASA which required 70 days of spaceflight simulation! During his time "play astronaut", Mike & Ian thrice featured him in their podcasts: day 21 of tilt, then day 32, and finally day 90, once he "returned to Earth" and was rehabilitating his muscles.

Many questions were predictable: "So, are you starting to go crazy?!" -- and I loved Howard's answers. Like him, I'm a very active person, so it's difficult to be restricted, but many of us are willing to do it for the sake of future space exploration. Howard described his typical days, with all the little things one must cope with in studies, both good and bad.

Further along in the podcast, NASA principal investigator Dr. Ronita Cromwell weighed in with scientific descriptions of things the studies explore about bone, muscle, and bodily fluids.

 
Howard and Dr. Cromwell list behavioral and medical tests  -- many of which are analogs of everything done to astronauts before, during, and after spaceflight. I found the third segment the most interesting, where Howard describes returning to normal gravity, noting things the body must "re-learn" in order to walk, resume daily tasks, drive a car, etc. Adaptation in both directions can be eye-opening!

Contrary to some web forum myths about these studies, neither of the men were half-dead, depressed, crippled or compromised for life. I did three of these programs, and am robustly healthy. Pregnant women go on bedrest, sometimes for months, and do not suffer for life. So, don't believe fearmongering on the internet; read stories like these about people who have actually completed them.

Only active, healthy people with strong bones and great blood pressure are selected in the first place, and we are HIGHLY motivated to get back into shape again afterwards. Every participant gets us one step closer to Mars!

Pillownauts Across The Pond

Vladyslav Atavin is back!  Last year, in his blog, Astronaut of the Pillow, Vlad was kind enough to share his experiences while participating in the European Space Agency Flight Simulations. Their French, Irish, Austrian, German, and Italian scientists came together to conduct tests similar to those I underwent at NASA.

Oh, the things we do for science!

Last December, Vlad wrote about the first phase of their experiments in French.  In April, he completed phase two, and wrote about his medical tests in English. The third phase, set for autumn of 2013, will be recorded in Russian. FlightSim sure is turning into an international endeavour!

There are twelve individuals in their ongoing study: 10 Frenchmen, 1 Spaniard, and 1 Russian.

The entire program is ambitious in size and scope:
Four pillownauts will spend 21 days at a head-down tilt while engaging in recumbent weight-training and a vibrating exercise contraption. Another foursome will engage in the same, but add whey protein to their diets to see if there is any difference in muscle building. A final four will spend the same amount of time in bed, but lacking any of these attempts at "countermeasures."  Throughout the program, they will undergo various tests and experiments.

2011: the year the term PILLOWNAUT crossed the pond

These studies, with Mars in mind as a destination, are designed to find countermeasures to keep astronauts and cosmonauts healthier on long-duration missions. Vlad's detailed journal includes descriptions of program phases, photographs of the study facility, lists of his requirements and protocols, medical tests, and how the subjects spend their leisure time.

Many protocols are identical to those used at NASA: -6 degree tilt, food regimen, calculated fluid intake, blood tests and urinalysis, plasma volume measurements, DEXA bone scans, and neurological balance tests; and also minor details, such as having to shave certain body areas to accommodate electrodes, and having massages to prevent thrombosis.

Poor Vlad had to shave his hand, wrist, and leg for various tests, including multiple biopsies. So dedicated! He still looks great, in spite of it all! Rehab and exercise after FlightSim is no easy matter, but he met all the challenges...

Reading his daily updates brought back so many memories of my own experiences with the many tests: Posturography, Isometric muscle activities and of course, the dreaded Tilt Tests.  We did so many of the same things! (With slight differences in style and equipment.) It's been fun to compare my logs to his in terms of his work in Toulouse, France -- and my work in Galveston, Texas.

Honestly though, he does something a LOT that I never did in any of my Flight Simulation programs: he constantly gets folks to photograph him shirtless. Ladies, enjoy!

If you think you might be interested in participating in such paid studies, they tend to be very lucrative for healthy volunteers -- and now they are going on across three continents!  I used to get many international questions, and always had to break it to people that NASA only takes US citizens. But the Russian and European space agencies will now be conducting analog FlightSims, too.

Keep your eyes peeled for application promotions -- and of course, whenever I hear of a new study that is recruiting, you will see it here on my blog!

NASA's Dr. Duane Graveline

I'd like to extend a vast and hearty thank you to everyone who tuned into The Space Show this past Friday, when the esteemed Dr. Livingston invited me to co-host a broadcast where we interviewed the equally-esteemed former NASA astronaut, Dr. Duane Graveline.

NASA Group #4: "The Scientists" (Duane in top center)

And what a treat! We jumped right in with questions about his first interest in bedrest as an Air Force intern at the famed Walter Reed Army Hospital, where he first seized upon going beyond regular medical corps duties to become a flight surgeon in the mid-1950s, when concerns about "zero-gravity" on future space travelers had just begun.

The good doctor remembered clearly how he selected 10 young men in 1957, and arranged for them to have nothing to do for two weeks but lay in bed at Randolph Air Force Base Hospital. Sounds easy, right? The Air Force guys initially thought that was the world on a platter!  Dr. G conducted baseline tests, including tilt table tests & stress tests, and took measurements of muscle function and blood volume. Amazingly, as I know from my own experiences, these are still staples of all weightlessness simulation programs, 56 years later! They evolved to use different techniques in many cases, but the examination of these measures before and after spaceflight will always be crucial physiological markers.

But then, the troubles began, said Duane with a laugh, and his healthy sense of humor shines through. The subjects wanted to read in bed, they wanted to shave, they wanted to feed themselves... ah, the nerve! LOL!  Turns out, bedrest isn't so simple -- allowances do need to be made in terms of documentting the de-conditioning of space flight, but still ensuring your testers do not grow bored or stir crazy.  What's a space scientist to do?

Astronaut Hall of Fame, Florida

Determined to find something better, Graveline began water immersion experiments in the AeroMed Lab at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, or as he termed it, a "heaven" for any research-oriented person.  His demands were simple: 9x9x8 rooms full of water with viewing ports, with water maintained at a constant 95 degree temperature. Not too much to ask, right?  He designed a suit for use in the tank and then -- as a former test volunteer, I love this part -- he underwent a solid week of water immersion himself!

If you tune into the Space Show recoding in the archives for no other reason, listen for his experiences in the tank -- how he survived on liquids, and the testing protocols used.  An explosion of interest followed, landing him on the "Today" show, and led to his being given whole series of tests where he worked with both mice and humans in different micro-gravity simulations.

The most detailed of the sims involved specially designed pressure helmets and more complex underwater garments.  And unlike bedrest where immobility is crucial, so as not to bias the data with any influence of gravity, the aquanauts were freer to read books, play games and enjoy their unique environment while Dr. Graveline conducted electrocardiograms or recorded brain waves.

LIFE Magazine Centerfold, 1959

See that dude in the picture above? Imagine floating that way for 7 days straight! That's Dr. G to the right, looking into the custom water tank. It would many years before NASA had their own similar facilities, but both water immersion and bedrest techniques would continue to be developed over the coming decades, yielding valuable data about counter-measures in space... and also vital information as to how astronauts are best rehabilitated physically when they finally return to Earth's gravity. As a result, we are able to keep our space workers living in space for longer periods of time -- but without the potential lifelong risks that many suffered in the days of the Mir space station.

I think my favorite part was where LIFE Magazine called BioAstronautics a "bizarre new science".  Well, I guess now it's a bizarre middle-aged science.

To listen to the archived broadcast, please see Dr. David Livingston's web site for THE SPACE SHOW.

The Bed Pilot Pioneer

The ultimate "unsung hero" to us modern pillownauts... so we're going to do some singing!

Dr. Duane Graveline was the first scientist to conduct a space flight simulation study to analyze the effects of weightlessness on the human body. He entered the USAF Medical Service in 1955 to study aviation medicine, and was granted the rating of "Flight Surgeon" in February 1957.

Graveline went to Brooks AFB Aerospace Medical Laboratory in 1960, where his specialized research involved bed rest and water immersion to study biological changes in extended micro-gravity.


In June 1965, Dr. Graveline was selected with NASA's fourth group of scientist astronauts for jet pilot training, supporting the Mercury, Gemini and Apollo eras as a flight controller. This man who laid the groundwork for astronaut biodata (from Enos the Chimp to Alan Shepard!) also developed the lower body negative pressure device for zero-G tolerance testing – used in Skylab, Mir, Shuttles and the ISS.

Now 81, Graveline is the author of medical books, science fiction, and a fantastic website of collected medical research adn articles conducted by practicing or retired doctors who have no influence by or affiliation with any pharmaceutical companies. Anyone applying for the current studies should definitely read his essays in the Space Medicine section, particularly:

• Astronaut Post-Flight Syncope
• Body Fluid Changes in Space
• Bone Demineralization
• Musculoskeletal Deconditioning
• Retinal Flashes and the Moon
• Stress Exercise Dangers
• Tilt Table Testing (You have to do this if you join a NASA study!)
• Weightlessness

Key excerpt: "...assigned to Bruno, one of Von Braun's rigid German scientists. We were to study bed rest de-conditioning, aka couch potato assessment under the old adage: don't use it, you lose it. We would go from a two-week bed rest study to one of freely floating in a tank of water for one week. Now we have proof from MIR and the ISS of Mother Earth's gravitational demands that even with two hours of aggressive exercise daily, we are barely are able to stand on return..."

Graveline also wrote a fascinating book about his time as an Aerospace Medical Analyst for the USAF Foreign Technology Team in the late 1950s.  The Soviets were far ahead of the USA at the time, and his unique, super-secret affiliation with their BioAstronautics program gave him some very different insights about space travel compared to other astronauts training in that early era.

He was part of a small crowd of medical scientists who reviewed preparations and steps for Laika the Dog for her ride on Sputnik2; contrary to many urban legends and conspiracy theories, he personally confirms Laika's electrocardiograms in November of 1957, and that she survived at least the first two days in orbit.  He would also get to later review the biotelemetry of cosmonauts Yuri Gagarin and Gherman Titov. Check out "From Laika With Love" on Amazon!

Astronaut of the Pillow

Last post, I mentioned the newest Space Flight Simulation, in which the European Space Agency sponsors a study program for 12 participants of both genders, at an ESA facility in Toulouse, France.

Four pillownauts will spend 21 days in bed while engaging in recumbent weight-training and a vibrating exercise contraption. Another foursome will engage in the same, but add whey protein to their diets to see if there is any difference in muscle building. A final four will spend the same amount of time in bed, but lacking any of these attempts at "countermeasures".  Throughout the program, they will undergo various tests and experiments.

The infamous TILT TEST

I was thrilled to hear from healthy volunteer Vladyslav Atavin,who has created very informative and picture-saturated descriptions of his experiences!  Vlad's blog, entitled Astronaute sur l'oreiller: histoire du sujet "L", literally translates into English as "Astronaut on the Pillow: The History of Subject L".

I guess "L" was his identifier in the study!  We had numbers at NASA, but very seldom saw our names on things, unless we made it public ourselves.

Beginning this past November, Vlad described his screening process for SpaceFlight Simulations, his many bouts of medical activities, funny stories such as falling asleep during a DEXA Scan (oops!), and he was even brave enough to allow a camera in their shower facility (SFW).

All For Science!

Many protocols are identical to those used at NASA: -6 degree tilt, food regimen, calculated fluid intake, blood tests and urinalysis, plasma volume measurements, DEXA bone scans to score bone mineral density, and neurological balance tests; and also minor details, such as having to shave certain body areas to accommodate electrodes, and having massages to prevent thrombosis.

There were a few differences in their program, such as the timing and sequences of tests, use of a vibrating platform to stimulate muscle and bone in one control group, and more advanced ocular testing. Also, they got ginger tea and evening snacks. NASA testers never got those! Must lodge a complaint!

They had a much larger array of French, Irish, Austrian, German, and Italian scientists running experiments, and had to endure far more invasive procedures, such as a biopsy, which a non-squeamish researched caught on film (WARNING: Do not click if blood or medical procedures makes you queasy!).

Oh my, what a rough life, eh?

Their full study will take places in 3 major phases throughout 2013. Vlad wrote about the first phase in French (easily translated through Google), will write about the second phase in English, and the third phase in Russian.

He is happy to field comments and questions on his Astronaute sur l'oreiller blog in any of these languages, so please hop on over to give him your support! :)

Pillownauting Across the Atlantic!

PILLOWNAUT has crossed the pond! Well, would you look at that, I [accidentally] coined a word that hopped continents.

 Back in 2008, when I began flight simulations at NASA, I named my blog "Pillow Astronaut" as a joke. Bedrest to be an analog to weightlessness? And our best luxury was a pillow? It's a nonsense combination of Latin and Greek root words, and then I made it worse by shortening it to "pillownaut" for the web URL.

The Original Pillownauts
Devin, me, Candace & Deron - 2008

A few NASA writers hopped on board, and also used the term when reporting about our project on the NASA.gov servers. Then, FOX news got hold of us, and publicity spread to many parts of the world. Over the next year, both Wired.com and POPSCI would also use the term in articles about various NASA  projects in the Flight Analog Program.

Our little press crew certainly weren't the first analogs, but for some odd reason, the stories struck a nerve with folks at that time, and we happened to become the most visible. Sometimes that was great (astronauts came to visit!) and other times, that had a significant downside (wow did I get freaky emails from a lot of random goofballs!)

Pillownauts Getting Up!
Kjell, Devin (back!), me & Marcus

The studies are still going strong at the NASA facility where we once lived, and such research projects have eexploded to even greater public attention with the Mars500 simulation, a joint project between the ESA, Roskosmos and CNSA.

It was with no small amount of amusement that I see the ESA's newly announced bedrest study calls their participants... wait for it... PILLOWNAUTS.

As of December 2012, the announcement came for the first of three phases for a long term study: Six Degrees of Inclination.  The newly created Bedrest Study website of the ESA has a myriad of juicy details and goals

Happily, one of the participants in the newest ESA study found my blog and emailed me about his experiences!  I'll be sharing those later this week, so stay tuned for Pillownauts, the European Version...

Space Show Live!

What a treat! I'll admit, I was a bit anxious at being "live" for a 90-minute radio show where anyone could call in an ask questions, but I had nothing to fear.

It was such a pleasure to be on The Space Show with Dr. David Livingston, and he kindly flattered me about being a "unique" guest, despite my lacking quite the impressive credentials of astronauts or commercial space CEOS! But I just enjoyed the good company and tried to do the best I could.

In bed for science!

Such a walk down memory lane! The show brought back so many memories. I participated in three NASA Spaceflight Simulations in 2008, 2009 and 2010; since then, I have tried to promote the programs as accurately as possible, making available my own medical materials and testing experiences. Sometimes it was both fun and funny, other times gritty and painful -- but at all times an amazing experience with NASA scientists who work hard to develop counter-measures to micro-gravity side-effects, so that astronauts can stay healthier in space.

The show certainly didn't seem like 90 minutes. When I first heard about the length, I didn't think I'd have anything to talk about for that long.  But, being naturally over-opinionated, and concentrating on people's questions by phone or email, I felt the time slip away quickly.

Learning to walk again after being in bed for science!

Although a fair bit of time has passed since my studies, and new studies are being continually developed, many details came back to me easily when someone asked about a particular protocol, screening criteria, the NASA ward environment, or possible medical applications of the research.

Dr. Livingston is also a gracious host, and allowed me to speak freely, when the average CNN anchor would have cut me off.  Of course, with the well-educated, science-oriented audience of The Space Show, we were all largely "preaching to the choir" about hoping to reach Mars, the future of rocket propulsion possibilities, and usefulness of space technologies here on Earth.  These are all things we love to talk about amongst ourselves endlessly!  Someday, they will hopefully be realities.

If you'd like to listen to the show, please see The Space Show archives, where my interview and Q&A session is listed on January 8th.  Dr. Livingston has already invited me back for another show in February, hopefully to speak jointly with the NASA astronaut who started the simulations in the late 1950s, so stay tuned for news about that! Should be fun!

The 10 Most Bizarre Space Experiments

My first appearance in a textbook! After numerous turns on the internet, radio and television, I'm truly proud that I've been able to contribute to an educational resource for children. Hopefully it will serve to initiate a fascination with space research for some young minds.

Rubicon Publishing has recently released "The 10 Most Bizarre Space Experiments", a fun and fascinating look into various space projects around the world... and off the world!

TheCanadian company who writes "The 10" series of books contacted me with a request for personal photographs insights into my personal experience with bedrest studies. These programs are used to simulate spaceflight so scientists and doctors can study changes in human bodies in prolonged weightlessness.

It was refreshing to talk about the details of the studies again, since of course it's been quite awhile now since I did extended quarantine with spaceflight protocols. Happily, however, these studies are still going strong, and many new studies are also developed each year for new participants.  Johnson Space Center is still seeking healthy paid volunteers for studies like the one I shared here with Rubicon, and new programs involving the newest space station treadmill.

Ah, memories... but, I was not the star of the tiny tome by any means. A complete list of all the featured stories include:

1. LEGO on ISS
2. Six-legged Astronauts
3. Newts in Space
4. Cola Wars
5. Mars500
6. The Bedrest Experiment
7. Balloon Jump From Space
8. Moon Bricks
9. Space Underwear
10. Telepathy From Space

One of my favorite simulations, performed as a joint project by the European and Russian space agencies, is the Mars500. I followed all three of their missions for years! My feature ends on page 5, and the Mars500 feature begins on page 6! What an absolute honor to be in the same pages of a book with them. Of course, perhaps they would also consider it an honor to be included with a book of long-term space experiments and yeeeeeeears of comparable NASA studies.

I sure wish I could give a link to where the book can be purchased that would work for everyone! However, the target audience is Canadian educators, so it won't be made widely available.  However, if anyone has connections to any of the experiments and would like a look at the particular pages, please let me know!

NASA Bedrest Studies: Then And Now

Very special thanks to longtime supporter and reader, Joe Neigut, for bringing my attention to some great new videos on YouTube! I admit, I don't often "surf" that particular site unless I have a video to upload – and even then, I'm more likely to get stuck on Monty Python skits for hours ;)

Many moons ago, I featured some articles on space agency bedrest studies: one paid $100 per week in 1968; another in the same era recruited prison inmate volunteers, and both were considered early milestones in the attempt to understand effects of extended weightlessness on the human body.

Life Sciences at the Manned Spacecraft Center in 1973

This short clip shows bedrest and tilt tests, as part of a broader view into the physiological sciences that accompanied the post-Apollo and Skylab era of the space age. The entire program is available on another channel, and you can click here for Part 1 (13 minutes long) and click here for Part 2 (14 minutes long).

Current studies pay more than ten times the money now, at $1075 per week, and there are definitely no more prison volunteers allowed by NASA's modern ethics committees. Screening, of course, is also more rigorous, and psychological testing is also included. It takes a physically hardy and mentally sturdy person to withstand this particular sort of friendly quarantine, even if it looks like just "lying around".

Clip of modern NASA bedrest studies in 2011

Interestingly, even after 45 years worth of these studies, while the details have been altered in various ways via comparison control groups, the overall drill is the same: micro-gravity simulation to examine changes in bone production, muscle tissue, blood flow and plasma volume.

It's amazing to see how these studies have evolved over the years as we've tried to achieve greater accuracy and learned more about the body while trying different counter-measures.

We've come a long way!

NASA Exercise Study for Men

Astronauts exercise on the ISS treadmill to keep their muscles and bones healthy; on the ground, "flight analog" testers use similar equipment so medical scientists can measure cardiovascular fitness. How do they simulate weightlessness? By going vertical! Some of you remember this as the "COLBERT" treadmill that will be used on the space station... named after the goofy fake-TV news host, Stephen Colbert.


Yesterday, I mentioned the studies website was updated with new programs, and this, the Countermeasure and Functional Testing or simply CFT 70, is the current big kahuna of studies! It is similar to iRATS , though instead of 2-3 weeks, this one will be a longer affair, with more opportunities to test out the new toys!

This is probably the best video I have ever seen in terms of how the treadmill in space works, and how they gear equipment on the ground to simulate weightlessness. The NASA Edge guys featured the original Enhanced Zero-Gravity Locomotion Simulator... the newly built one in Texas is very similar, but with "floating" capability.

Space Treadmill as Featured on NASA Edge

Co-host Blair Allen is a goofball, but highly entertaining, and he volunteered to don the space station harness to try out the treadmill. So, if you are interested in participating in this study, you can watch him undergo all the protocols.

Their show also featured more updated footage on the ISS, Peggy Whitson during training, and a description of what "weightless jogging" feels like around the 5:30 and 6:40 marks. Great stuff!

The new web site design has much more information than the older versions, complete with detailed descriptions, schedules, and photographs of the equipment used in the various trials.


In the past, part of the challenge was not being able to exercise during some of these campaigns, but now exercise and comparison are built in, so they have the potential to be more fun and active, as well as useful to NASA scientists in terms of collected data.

Click on the Application Form to apply, or refer any healthy person, and tell them Pillownaut sent you! I'd love for them to know I'm still doing the Mars Cheerleader thing! ;)

Astronaut in the NASA Ward

Dr. Serena M. Auñón (35) of League City, TX was one of the two flight doctors chosen in the last astronaut selection. The Galveston Daily News reported on her visit to the NASA ward at the University of Texas Medical Branch, where she visited with study subjects in the current flight simulation programs.

Participants David Sarmiento and William Widener were in the long-term bed-rest study in the Flight Analog Research Unit at the time, in the now-famed Head-Down Tilt. In this position, participants show physiologic changes similar to those expressed by astronauts in microgravity. Changes in blood pressure and blood plasma volume result when the heart works about 15-20% less, and of course the creation of bone mineral density in the body also changes.

Sarmiento, 35, a commercial diver from Maryland &
Widener, 42, a fitness instructor from North Carolina

Like many subjects before them, the newest recruits attest to a new appreciation of how astronauts cope with weightlessness on their missions, as they find the studies are both physically and mentally demanding. Said one new participant: "I have a greater understanding of the physical effects of zero gravity. It's not just floating. It affects your whole body."

Astronaut Auñón, who completed residencies in both internal medicine and aerospace medicine at UTMB, so she knows a little something about the value of the NASA studies:
"We learn a tremendous amount from astronauts and their experiences aboard the Space Station. Those numbers are small and a larger body of evidence is needed. Head-down bed rest is one of our best analogues. The women and men who volunteer to take part as subjects in the bed rest facility provide invaluable data regarding physiological changes in a 'weightless' environment."

It's also an amazing way to do your part for space exploration, and everything scientists learn about human bodies in these studies gets us closer to planet Mars. Still, it must have been nice to get some personal recognition from an astronaut! They of all people know how much sacrifice can be involved in the stringent protocols. Testing yourself in the way astronauts train? Not for sissies!


Other articles in the past few months regarding the studies have been very positive! We are truly seeing gratifying results in term of how space studies further our knowledge of how to live in micro-gravity, but also the practical benefits that can be applied to life on Earth:

July 13, 2011: Sentara Offers NASA-Developed Treadmill For Therapy
Space study treadmill used for orthopedic patients, senior rehabilitation conditioning, military members endurance and strengthening, etc.

November 29, 2011: Bed Rest Study Provides Invaluable Data for NASA
Information on exercise, muscles, bones and hearts to keep astronauts healthier.

December 21, 2011: From Here To Maternity
Months in bed to stop miscarriage? Practical considerations to involuntary bedrest.

January 2012: Rehab: Space Technology Helping to Heal & Strengthen
Space mission technology adapted and approved by the FDA for use in injury rehabilitation, Neuro-Muscular control, pre- and post- joint replacement surgery conditioning and athletic training.

These have also all been added to the archive of Articles on Pillownaut.com.

More Human Test Subjects Needed!

With 2012 now in full swing, it's worth mentioning that Johnson Space Center personnel are screening participants for this year's ongoing studies.

Most of my wonderful and supportive longtime readers know how to become a paid volunteer for NASA... and so many have applied and passed the modified Air Force Class III physical, it's been my great pleasure to speak with some of the recent participants in the current studies ad they are accepted!


Female subjects are especially in high demand right now, simply because, in general, fewer females apply . The data on female participants is always the lighter level of the field. We just desperately need to put more women in space!

So if you know anyone who is eligible, or just in such good shape you think they might want to have a go at the NASA audition, tell me or tell them! The JSC website is continually accepting applications… and of course I should also mention that this being an astronaut screening year, completing a NASA Flight Simulation Study would look great on your astronaut application as well.

Amazingly, I still get questions about the very first study I did back in 2008, because when people go seeking information about the simulations, they more often than not run across my blog. I'm always happy to speak to people about the programs or the screening process, though it's a shame I spend the most time clearing up all the common misconceptions at first.

This year, scientists will be researching the benefits of exercise to counteract space-related heart, lung, muscle and bone issues, using various new equipment and compression garments.

As in past studies, they take baseline measurements at the beginning, try varying length of bedrest protocols (with or without stints on the "space station treadmill") and compare to resulting measurements at the end.

Two active studies are accepting applications right now, though others of differing lengths will become available soon. Come join the CFT or the ACG in 2012!

NASA Spaceflight Simulations Website

The web site has been updated! The web site has been updated! You're not hallucinating if you detect an element of Reverse Chicken Little Syndrome in that exclamation. Every web update means brand new research studies are being conducted at the NASA Human Test Subject Facility (HTSF) at Johnson Space Center! Always welcome news.

While manned spaceflight has taken a downturn, NASA does still have an 18 billion dollar budget dedicated to various missions and wide ranges of research projects. The flight simulations are definitely a worthy area of research! And these are the kinds where you don't need to be a rocket scientist -- you just need to be healthy and motivated, and you can help your space program.


I've participated in three of these studies, and had great fun performing all the tests and procedures, so I always encourage others to check out the forms and throw their hat in the ring if they think they meet the health standards.

The screening process has remained the same over the years, and it's not always easy, but you are definitely in an exclusive group of specimens if you can pull it off! Do you know a fitness-minded person you can refer? Help NASA find some folks who can participate!

Especially now, in light of how many more scientists are studying How A Long Mission To Mars Could Kill You. In the short term, most of the studies are between 2 weeks and a few months, so there is no harm to be had. But the results of the data over time and in many individuals help NASA keep astronauts healthier.


Many of the programs, while seeking counter-measures for space flight, also benefit people with conditions here on earth, such as cardio-pulmonary and osteoporosis patients, just to name a few. (Hey, Rogaine and Viagra were both discovered by testing potential blood pressure medicines. So, there you go.)

Want to see what your made of and help humanity get to Mars? Seriously, apply to the flight sim program! When the first foot steps on the red planet, you will be able to say that you helped make that happen. Do you know someone who is fit, adventurous and willing? Encourage them to apply, too. Above is the schematic of the NASA facility where all the testing takes place... help NASA fill the rooms :)