Skinsuit Eases Astronaut Backaches

Mar-21-14 Researchers have designed a skinsuit meant to be worn by astronauts to help reduce backaches during their time in space.

In the weightlessness of space, the bodies of astronauts will lose muscle mass and even grow up to 2.8 inches since gravity is no longer pressing on the spine. This elongation of the spine causes backaches as well as increasing the risk of a slipped disk.

To relieve some of this burden from the astronauts' bodies, a team from King's College London, MIT and the European Space Agency have developed a "gravity loading countermeasure skinsuit" made of an elastic material embedded with horizontal strands. The strands function as a sort of a 'belt,' which simulates an extra 1g of bodyweight by creating a loading system directed toward the feet—mimicking the forces of Earth gravity on the body.

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[GIZMAG.COM]
[KINGS COLLEGE LONDON]

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