Page 91 - RPG's Italian Work Experience

THE ‘ANTI-GRAVITY TREADMILL’ / pt. 3

• Whalen designed a treadmill that would let astronauts run in a

more natural way. The design, patented in 1992, encloses a

treadmill and the astronaut's lower body in an airtight chamber.

Lowering the air pressure inside the chamber pushes the

astronaut down, simulating gravity. Whereas the ISS's old

treadmill allowed Williams to run on about 60 percent of her

Earth weight, Whalen's treadmill would have allowed her to

exercise at her normal Earth weight. That's important for

keeping the muscles and bones healthy for when astronauts get

home.