The women will spend five consecutive days in waterbeds.
Dry Immersion Study
Spaceflight is being studied by researchers who place women in waterbeds for five consecutive days to study the effects on their bodies.
According to the European Space Agency (ESA) press release, 20 women are being placed in tub-like containers by scientists in Toulouse, France, as part of the dry immersion research. To replicate space's weightlessness, the tanks are filled with water but are waterproofed to protect the volunteers from the elements.
Space for Women
ESA hopes to understand how weightlessness affects female astronauts during their missions.
This research area has little information about the psychological and physiological effects of women. Angelique Van Ombergen, ESA's lead for life sciences, stated that an all-female dry immersion research will complement previous male campaigns in Europe and Russia.
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Five days in bed
The tank is filled with water, and the women are immersed. Their legs and torsos will be totally immobilized while their arms, heads and necks can move freely above the fabric.
According to the press release, participants will spend almost 24 hours per day in the tank. However, they can shower and clean while lying down on their backs with their heads tilted 6 degrees to reduce fluid shifts.
It's five days of relaxation on a huge waterbed, which makes it the most enjoyable study ever.
READ MORE: A study of a water-tank crew for spaceflight [Phys.org]
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