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Thomas Pesquet Alpha mission training:
Immersive exercise for Alpha with Thomas Pesquet
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- Title Thomas Pesquet Alpha mission training - Immersive exercise for Alpha with Thomas Pesquet
- Length 00:05:24
- Footage Type TV Exchanges
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- Copyright ESA
- Description
In preparation for his second mission to the International Space Station, ESA astronaut Thomas Pesquet is training to be ready for launch. His second six-month mission is called Alpha and will see Thomas launch as part Crew-2 on the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft with NASA astronaut Megan Behnken and Shane Kimbrough and Japanese astronaut Aki Hoshide.
This video shows scenes from Thomas Pesquet training for the Immersive exercise experiment at the European Astronaut Centre in Cologne, Germany. This experiment will fly during the Alpha mission.
Astronauts exercise two hours a day to compensate for the loss of bone and muscle mass from living in weightlessness. The daily workout can quickly become repetitive in the closed and unchanging environment, leading to lack of motivation. The Immersive Exercise experiment aims to break the monotony with virtual reality. Coupled with the Space Station’s exercise bike, an astronaut can pedal in space while riding through Earth landscapes. Videos filmed in 360° on Earth are played back on the headset, with the speed changing depending on how fast the astronaut pedals. A number of scenes have been captured, including one trip around Paris and its monuments at Thomas’s request. Already in use in some terrestrial fitness centres, the Immersive Exercise equipment could evolve to include gradient difficulties to recreate mountain roads. The Immersive Exercise technology should keep astronauts motivated on the International Space Station and improve their performance – an important aspect to consider on longer missions to the Moon and Mars.
Latest updates on the Alpha mission can be found via @esaspaceflight on Twitter, with more details on ESA’s exploration blog via thomaspesquet.esa.int.
Background information on the Alpha mission is available at www.esa.int/MissionAlpha with a brochure at www.esa.int/AlphaBrochure.