NASA is offering $18,000 to volunteers willing to lie in bed for 70 days. While this might sound like a couch potato's dream come true, earning the money might be more difficult than it sounds.
NASA is conducting the study to see what conditions could be like for astronauts in order to evaluate the effect that bed rest would have on their bodies before they are actually put into space. Not just any couch potato can join the study though– NASA requires participants to be in good health, non-smokers and able to pass the Modified Air Force Class III Physical. The reason behind this casting is that they want to emulate the type of person that the real astronauts will be as closely as possible.
Two different test groups will be involved in the study. The first will be the group that lies on a bed at a six degree downward tilt for 70 days. This group will experience cardiovascular symptoms similar to what astronauts would experience. A second group will participate in a "variety of resistance and aerobic exercises," while on bed rest, CBS News explains. During the study none of the participants will be on their feet at all; devices will help them shower and use the bathroom while still reclined. At the end of the bed rest, both groups will be asked to perform common tasks, such as walking for a certain distance or moving boxes, things that astronauts might have to do after landing on a planet after being in space for some time.
Both groups will experience a two-week recovery period after the study concludes before they return to their normal lives. NASA estimates that while people might not be back to 100 percent directly following the study, since they are healthy individuals they will make a full recovery in a short period of time. Loss of muscle strength and bone density are two possible side effects from the study. The participants also risk developing bed sores from being stationary for a prolonged period.
The information gathered will be used to develop methods to allow astronauts to more easily acclimatize to daily life in space. Since there is no gravity in space, astronauts are not required to exert as much energy as on Earth.
"Being a ground analog tester for astronauts is exciting, because you get to experience a lot of the things they do, and you're also all working with the same doctors," previous NASA bed rest study participant Heather Archuletta told Forbes. While it might seem like an easy task, laying in bed for 70 days and the recovery that comes afterwards can be quite challenging. For those few who participate, however, they are making a huge difference in the lives of astronauts.
