As NASA gears up to send the first crewed mission to the moon since 1972 and establish a sustainable lunar base, scientists are devising innovative solutions to combat the adverse effects of space travel on astronauts. One such approach is the ‘Wall of Death,’ a thrilling circus stunt that involves running around the inside of a barrel-shaped wooden cylinder. While on Earth, this feat can only be achieved on a motorcycle due to the need for high speeds, the reduced gravity on the moon makes it possible for astronauts to perform the stunt at a manageable running speed of just 8 mph (13 km/h). Researchers have conducted experiments involving two participants, a male and female, who ran around a 31-foot-diameter Wall of Death while suspended by a bungee cord from a 118-foot-high crane, simulating the conditions of low gravity on the moon. The data collected from these tests, combined with treadmill data assessing the participants’ running speeds at varying gravity levels, revealed that performing the stunt for a few minutes at the start and end of each day would be sufficient to protect astronauts from muscle and bone loss caused by microgravity. This training regimen promises to be a valuable countermeasure for astronauts to combat the debilitating effects of prolonged exposure to low gravity during future space missions and their eventual return to Earth. Despite the promising findings, there are logistical challenges to consider. Transporting a large-scale Wall of Death to the moon would be a complex task. As an alternative, scientists propose utilizing the walls of circular lunar habitats for this purpose. However, the size constraints of early lunar habitats may limit the feasibility of this approach. Furthermore, astronauts would still require specialized training for other daily activities in low-gravity environments. For the time being, the Wall of Death stunt remains a captivating circus attraction, but its potential as a tool for maintaining astronaut fitness in space holds immense promise.
Astronauts to Conquer the ‘Wall of Death’ on the Moon
