Immersion tank study will explore impact of space travel on the female body
by Hannah Devlin Science correspondent from on (#5PYDX)
Experiment aims to address a gender gap where most space medicine research has been carried out on men
It may sound like a prolonged spa break but when 20 women tuck themselves into a waterbed in the south of France for five days this week, it will be under the guise of a scientific study into the impact of space flight on the female body.
The experiment, by the European Space Agency, will simulate the impact of microgravity on the musculoskeletal system, immune and cardiovascular health and hormone levels. With an increasing number of female astronauts participating in long-duration missions the immersion study is aimed at addressing a gender gap where the vast majority of space medicine research has been carried out on men.
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