Would You Spend Two Months in Bed for Science?

Does two months of lounging around with unlimited TV, video games, catered food, and no chores sound like fun? It might to a lot of people. And that’s exactly what the German Aerospace Center is asking members of the public to do as part of a new study. Participants will even get paid $18,500 for the effort. But here’s the catch: For the entire 60 days, volunteers have to stay reclined in bed. They can’t get up—for any reason.

Everyone in the bedrest study will have to do everything lying down: change clothes, bathe, and even use the bathroom. At the same time, researchers will be poking them with needles and running daily medical tests. Each day, the scientists will also place some of the subjects in a giant spinning machine called a centrifuge.

Picture yourself lying around for two months with all the TV and video games you want. People bring you food, and you have no chores. Does that sound like fun? It might to many people. The German Aerospace Center is asking members of the public to do just that. It’s all part of a new study. Volunteers will even get paid $18,500. But there’s a catch. For the entire 60 days, they have to lie in bed. They can’t get up—for any reason.

Everyone in the bedrest study will do everything lying down. That includes changing clothes, bathing, and even using the bathroom. And researchers will be poking them with needles and running daily medical tests. Each day, the scientists will also place some of the subjects in a centrifuge. That’s a giant spinning machine.

In microgravity, the fluids in astronauts’ bodies shift toward their heads. “When you’re on Earth, your blood and all of your other fluids are being pulled toward the ground by gravity,” says Vessey. “When you enter microgravity, you no longer have gravity pulling fluids down.” To re-create the way fluids in the body move in microgravity, bedrest volunteers will lie with their heads tilted back 6 degrees. “This lets us study the effect of this upward fluid shift on things like the heart, brain, and eyes,” says Vessey. This shift can cause astronauts’ faces to look swollen in space and may result in vision problems that persist even after they return to Earth.

In microgravity, the fluids in astronauts’ bodies move toward their heads. “When you’re on Earth, your blood and all of your other fluids are being pulled toward the ground by gravity,” says Vessey. “When you enter microgravity, you no longer have gravity pulling fluids down.”

Bedrest volunteers will lie with their heads tilted back 6 degrees. That will re-create the movement of the body’s fluids in microgravity. “This lets us study the effect of this upward fluid shift on things like the heart, brain, and eyes,” says Vessey. This shift can make astronauts’ faces look swollen in space. It may also cause vision problems that last even after they return to Earth.

The lack of movement and the tilted position should cause bedrest subjects to experience health issues similar to those of astronauts in microgravity. The other component of the study is testing a way for possibly reducing these negative effects. Scientists will spin two-thirds of the study participants in a centrifuge large enough for a person for 30 minutes a day. The outward force generated by the machine will equal the pull of gravity on Earth. Researchers want to see whether that could help reduce bone and muscle loss, as well as shift bodily fluids back toward volunteers’ feet.

The lack of movement and the tilt should cause health effects in bedrest subjects. These effects should be like those on astronauts in microgravity. But the study has another part. It will test a possible way to reduce these harmful effects. Scientists will use a centrifuge large enough for a person. Each day, they’ll spin two-thirds of the study subjects inside it for 30 minutes. The machine will create an outward force equal to the pull of gravity on Earth. Could that help reduce bone and muscle loss? And could it shift bodily fluids back toward volunteers’ feet? Researchers want to see.

The study could influence the design of future spacecraft. “People have long assumed that a spinning spacecraft would provide the best artificial gravity solution to providing an Earth-like environment in space,” says Jennifer Ngo-Anh. She directs the human and robotic exploration program at the European Space Agency. But building a whole spacecraft that rotates might be impractical, she says. Instead, having a centrifuge, like the one being used in the bedrest study, onboard a spacecraft might be a better option.

The study could also affect the design of future spacecraft. “People have long assumed that a spinning spacecraft would provide the best artificial gravity solution to providing an Earth-like environment in space,” says Jennifer Ngo-Anh. She directs the human and robotic exploration program at the European Space Agency. But building a whole spacecraft that spins might be difficult, she says. Instead, the spacecraft could have a centrifuge, like the one in the bedrest study. That might work better.

Analog studies help scientists learn not only how to combat the physical challenges of living in space, but also how space travel might affect astronauts’ mental health. For example, researchers might have volunteers live in a replica space habitat to see how well they handle working together in a cramped space over time.

Analog studies teach scientists how to overcome the physical problems of living in space. But they also show how space travel might affect astronauts’ mental health. For example, volunteers might live in a model of a space habitat. Researchers will study how they handle working together in this small space over time.

Scientists also find places on Earth, from volcanoes to deserts, that can stand in for extreme space environments, like the surface of Mars, to test equipment, vehicles, and habitats. “This lets us work out any problems, or bugs, on Earth, where they’re much easier to fix,” says Vessey. “It lets us make sure these tools work correctly when the astronauts really need them.”

Lessons learned from analog studies often do more than aid space exploration, says Vessey. “Many of the tools, treatments, and technologies developed to help astronauts live, work, and adapt to space also have applications for people on Earth,” he says. For example, strategies to prevent bone loss in space could also be used to treat patients with osteoporosis, a condition where bones become weak and brittle. So bedrest volunteers assist scientists in developing tools that could benefit both astronauts and society—without having to lift more than a finger

Scientists also test equipment, vehicles, and habitats in extreme places on Earth. Volcanoes and deserts are examples. These places stand in for extreme space environments, like the surface of Mars. “This lets us work out any problems, or bugs, on Earth, where they’re much easier to fix,” says Vessey. “It lets us make sure these tools work correctly when the astronauts really need them.”

Lessons from analog studies help space exploration. But they often do more, says Vessey. “Many of the tools, treatments, and technologies developed to help astronauts live, work, and adapt to space also have applications for people on Earth,” he says. For example, take methods to prevent bone loss in space. They could also help patients with osteoporosis. That’s a condition that makes bones weak and brittle. So bedrest volunteers help scientists to develop tools that could benefit both astronauts and society. And volunteers don’t have to lift more than a finger.