Flywheel device tested on parabolic flights in Canada
The flywheel being tested in microgravity by Yannick Laflamme, Exercise Specialist, Operational Space Medicine at the Canadian Space Agency, during a parabolic flight. (Credit: CSA)
2024-07-22
During the week of July 15, the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) put a flywheel exercise device through its very first test in a microgravity environment. A flywheel device will be used by the astronauts of the early Artemis missions (at least through Artemis V) to stay in shape. It hitched a ride aboard the National Research Council's Falcon 20 airplane during a parabolic flight campaign at the Montreal Metropolitan Airport in Longueuil, Quebec. Parabolic flights are a cost-effective way to test technologies and conduct science experiments in microgravity using airplanes (affectionately referred to as "vomit comets").
Flywheels have been used to exercise for a while now. They were invented in the 1990s to counteract muscle and bone loss caused by microgravity, but never flew to space. In recent years, they have been used in the realm of human performance and rehabilitation. NASA has designed a flywheel for the Orion spacecraft. It had to meet several specifications (e.g. vibration, acoustic), but mostly had to be small, light and use no power. The device will also serve as a step to help crewmembers get in and out through the side hatch.
NASA is doing extensive engineering and life cycle testing on the device to make sure that all the technical specifications are met. They are also planning to do a more detailed study on the effectiveness of flywheel training.
In preparation to support the CSA astronauts assigned to the Artemis II mission, Jeremy Hansen and his backup Jenni Gibbons, the CSA is focusing on developing, testing and optimizing exercise protocols for the flywheel.
In collaboration with NASA, the CSA team has replicated the specifications of the Orion flywheel (dimensions, gears, resistance levels) on a commercially available flywheel device and used it to trial various exercise protocols.
To find answers and test training protocols, the CSA, in collaboration with Canadian Forces Morale and Welfare Services (CFMWS), enlisted members of the Canadian Armed Forces and personnel from CFMWS and the CSA for multi-day testing campaigns on Earth.
A total of 30 participants performed 10 sessions each (two familiarization sessions and eight training sessions). Body composition data as well as data related to the sessions such as cadence, resistance, reps, sets, power and force were measured. The main objective was to evaluate if it was feasible to train on the flywheel for 30 minutes alternating strength and cardiovascular training, using the four approved exercises. After the familiarization sessions, the participants followed similar protocols that the CSA exercise specialists are considering for in-flight exercise.
The next step was to perform similar tests in a microgravity environment to better replicate the conditions in which the astronauts will exercise.
A CSA team geared up to test the device on a series of parabolic flights. In total, four people tested exercises on six parabolic flights.
The Artemis II crewmembers will further test the flywheel in the real space environment during their mission, the first crewed test flight of the Artemis program.
There is still much to learn about using a flywheel for exercise in space, such as:
Under the Artemis Accords, the CSA is collaborating with the international partners to support health and optimize performance of astronauts.
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