Astronauts can use it for dozens of exercises that work out different parts of the body.
On long-term space journeys like a manned mission to Mars, it’s important that astronauts pack light. In an effort to save as much space as possible, Nasa has designed a miniature exercise device called the MED-2 to be used on future trips into deep space, Gizmodo reports.
Though it comes in a tiny package, the MED-2 serves multiple functions. Astronauts can use it for dozens of exercises that work out different parts of the body. At just 30 kilos, the MED-2 is less than six per cent the mass of the Advanced Restive Exercise Device that’s currently being used aboard the International Space Station.
Astronauts don’t just work out because it’s a way to pass the time — without at least two-and-a-half hours of daily exercise, the effects of microgravity begin to wear away their bone and muscle mass. Before hitching a ride on any deep-space missions that might be coming up, the MED-2 will first be tested aboard the ATK Cygnus cargo vehicle used to supply the ISS.
Source: www.mentalfloss.com
