Puttings these value for force and acceleration into the equation, SLAMMD outputs the astonaut’s mass. Optical sensors measure the acceleration (a) of the movement. now has Three Oleumtech Certified Specialists on Staff More Info Class 1 Div 1 Pressure - Temperature - Level - Flow Transmitters Web Data Logging Find Out More JUST ADDED: Vogtlin Mass Flow Meters and Controllers to our Product line for Precision Mass Measurements. SLAMMD contains two springs which generate a known force (F) against the mass (m) of the astronaut. Using SLAMMD astronauts can accurately measure body mass with the help of Newton’s Second Law of Motion, F=ma (force is equal to mass times acceleration).įirstly the astronaut has to wrap their legs and body around the device (as seen in André’s photo).
![mass finder instrument mass finder instrument](https://research.ouhsc.edu/portals/1329/Images/lumos637212707500807138.png)
SOLO looks at reducing the amount of salt in their diet to see if this helps prevent bone loss.īut how do you know if such interventions are having the desired effect? One measurement to check the physical condition of the astronauts is to weight them, but in space you can’t simply stand on the weighing scales like we do on Earth. The exact mechanisms are still not known and scientists are still conducting this research in space today – André and his fellow Expedition 30 crewmate Dan Burbank have for example been following a strict diet for the past couple of weeks for ESA’s SOLO experiment. Research has also shown that there are dietary changes that can help with the bone loss. To go someway to counteract these effects, the International Space Station crewmembers are prescribed two hours of exercise every day. Over time, if no countermeasures are taken, the loss of bone and muscle mass means that the astronauts will experience problems on their return to Earth’s gravity. One of the side effects of a long stay in space is the loss of bone density and muscle mass because astonauts don’t have to work against gravity like we do here on Earth. Why is measuring body mass needed in space? What exactly is SLAMMD and how does it work? The device André is using is called the Space Linear Acceleration Measurement Device, or SLAMMD (pronounced “slam-dee”) for short. Using body mass index calculator can figure out if the child is in an appropriate weight for his or her height 4.
![mass finder instrument mass finder instrument](https://assets.thermofisher.com/TFS-Assets/CMD/product-images/F191864-TSQ-Quantiva-Easy-Spray-NG-source-Ultimate-RSLCnano-Front-IQLAAEGAAXFAOUMZZZ.eps-650.jpg)
We also measure our body mass in the Columbus module. André Kuipers uses the SLAMMD device in Columbus