Vivaldi III logo

Vivaldi III logo for the third campaign of the dry immersion bedrest study in 2025.

In weightlessness, astronauts’ bodies lose muscle and bone density, eyes change, fluids shift to the brain and more – our bodies adapted to life on Earth and are not designed for spaceflight. Finding ways to stay healthy in orbit is a large part of human spaceflight research.

Dry-immersion baths are used to recreate aspects of living in weightlessness on Earth. Volunteers lay down in containers similar to bathtubs covered with a waterproof fabric to keep them dry and evenly suspended in water.

The studies benefit from placing less pressure on the body as volunteers are supported and suspended evenly in the tub, a condition that mimics the floating astronauts experience on the International Space Station.

The results from this type of research does not only benefit astronauts but has implications for people on Earth who are bedridden for long periods of time.