Exercise Device to Minimize the Effects of Long-Term Exposure to Microgravity

The Phase I objective is to design and produce an exercising device suitable for ground-based studies and KC-135 flight tests, whereby a crewmember performs a multitude of exercises from one position. This device will provide high intensity concentric and eccentric resistance to every major muscle group, and low resistance for cardiovascular conditioning. It will provide the ability to compress the spine to help alleviate back pain due to spinal lengthening in astronauts. The use of highly efficient pneumatic variable resistance combined with all adjustments and exercises being performed from one position, should keep crew exercise time to a minimum. All exercises will be electronically monitored and displayed. Because of the accuracy and repeatability of this system it functions equally well as a non-invasive fitness tester. This device should provide the strength and cardiovascular conditioning requirements for long-duration space tavel. It is compact, low mass, quiet, simple to use, non-toxic to the astronaut environment, and consumes little power. The air pressure and design safety factor for cylinders, accumulators, tubing, etc, can be easily designed to meet NASA space flight requirements.