Inside the Human Exploration Research Analog, or HERA, crew member Jared Broddrick lifts a dumbbell equipped with adjustable colored weights, called a power block. The crew performs a mix of cardio and resistive exercises to stay in shape throughout the 45-day simulated journey to the Martian moon Phobos.
During a HERA mission, crew members have scheduled exercise time as do astronauts aboard the International Space Station. HERA includes two power blocks that can adjust to a maximum weight of 35 pounds. The power blocks require less room than a set of dumbbells, which helps save space in the compact habitat.
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NASA’s Human Research Program, or HRP, pursues the best methods and technologies to support safe, productive human space travel. Through science conducted in laboratories, ground-based analogs, and the International Space Station, HRP scrutinizes how spaceflight affects human bodies and behaviors. Such research drives HRP’s quest to innovate ways that keep astronauts healthy and mission-ready as space travel expands to the Moon, Mars, and beyond.
Nathan Cranford
Jennifer TurnerNASA Human Research Program Strategic Communications