Anthropometrics, Biomechanics, and Strength for astronauts

✨ This post is from the archive 🏛️. Migrated from Substack when we moved our writing to Ghost. ✨

This lesson was taken from a Human Factors perspective, aimed at bringing awareness of the physical changes the astronauts would experience, and how they would need to adapt to perform effectively in microgravity. We also discussed the physical aids they would encounter on the ISS to support them. The ESA medical and exercise team would go into this subject in far more detail.

This understanding is vital for ensuring their safety, performance, and overall ability to complete tasks, and just move around the ISS!

In space, astronauts encounter a range of physical changes due to the microgravity environment. Some tasks may become easier, like moving heavy objects with minimal effort, while others become significantly more difficult, such as maintaining muscle strength and bone density. The ESA medical and exercise team gives in-depth training and protocols on how to handle these changes.

Key Highlights:

• Anthropometrics: Understanding the size, shape, reach, and range of motion of astronauts is fundamental. This knowledge helps in designing spacecraft, spacesuits, and equipment that accommodate various body dimensions.
• Biomechanics: We examined how forces interact with the human body in space, considering how gravity (or lack of) can drastically alter physical performance and movement.
• Strength: We discussed how strength varies based on age, gender, and environmental conditions (e.g., zero-gravity and hyper gravity). The importance of strength data in ensuring that astronauts can perform necessary tasks without risking injury or fatigue was emphasised.
• External Factors: Explored how clothing (like pressurised suits), postures, and restraints can impact an astronaut's mobility and strength, highlighting the need for thoughtful design.