How does weightlessness affect the human body? And how can we counteract the negative effects? Bed-rest studies here on Earth are used to study the effects of weightlessness on the human body, in order to investigate reactions, effects and countermeasures. AGBRESA, the long-term bed-rest study that began in March 2019, involves 12 test participants lying for 60 days in beds angled downwards towards the head end by six degrees. The study is being conducted by DLR in Cologne – in cooperation with the European Space Agency (ESA) and the US space agency NASA.
This blog aims to allow researchers, those involved in the study and of course the test participants to report on the experiences and tasks that they will share and perform during the 60-day bed-rest study.

The AGBRESA study features two campaigns, with the first test participants arriving on 25 March 2019, followed by a second campaign in early September. The researchers are still seeking volunteers for the second phase in the autumn, especially women, because the aim is to acquire insights for all future astronauts, both male and female. Bed-rest studies are essential in space medicine research, in order to simulate the effect of weightlessness on the human body on Earth. Most recently, the DLR Institute of Aerospace Medicine in Cologne used this model to acquire knowledge during the VaPER study in 2017.