Shuttle Astronauts Measure Growth of Their Spines in Space
Columbia’s astronauts measured their spines Tuesday to understand the effects of space travel and logged time on an exercise bike as the shuttle’s two-week mission began to wind down.
Richard Hieb and Dr. Chiaki Mukai measured each other’s backbone with an ultrasound-imaging machine.
Like all astronauts, Hieb and Mukai have grown a few inches in space because the spine stretches in zero gravity. They have measured their heights every day in orbit--Tuesday was the 11th day of a 14-day flight--and kept a record of back pain, a common ailment among astronauts in orbit.
Flabby muscles also are a side effect of space travel, which is the reason for all the cycling.
“I plan to ride for about 8,000 miles,” Hieb said, referring to the distance covered by Columbia, not his feet. “It should take me about 30 minutes.”
The shuttle is due to land at the space center Friday.
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