The study of sleep, sports in ISS, edible material … Thomas Basket will carry out a hundred experiments in space

In a few weeks, on April 22, Thomas Baskett will embark on a new six-month journey to the International Space Station (ISS) known as the Alpha. In total, the French astronaut will carry out about a hundred experiments, of which 12 in Toulouse designed the center d’It au development des functions microgravity and space functions (catmos). These experiments, carried out at the station’s European Columbus complex, make it possible to produce particularly long space missions.

The “Dreams” experience will be an opportunity to check out new sensors for sleep and observe how astronauts sleep. An opportunity for Michael Debs, a neurologist at the University of Toulouse “We know there is disturbance in space to monitor sleep because it does not change day / night for more than 24 hours., The expert explains. He watches the sunrise and sets 16 times a day, which is not the normal rhythm of the creature, so it disturbs the sleep of the astronauts. “

“We have shorter, more fragmented sleep, and REM sleep is smaller than Earth.”

Michael Debs, neurologist at Toulouse University Hospital

to franceinfo

Sports and cycling in ISS is boring. The “high-speed gym” experience will have the look of Thomas Basket riding in the middle of the street using a virtual reality headset. “In this helmet, there will be three scenes to choose from: a tour in Paris, a tour in St. Petersburg and a tour near Marseille, Says Cecil Devonode, who is in charge of this experience. Almost every day when he rides his bike, he only sees the opposite wall. “

Scientific material is now packaged in bulky petroleum-based foams to be sent into space. But for this task, it will be transported in biodegradable and recyclable transport equipment. Another special: part of the partitions are edible! “This is a request from Thomas: ‘All these foams we throw away are so awesome, but it wouldn’t be so bad if we could do something with them and eat them.’, Pleases Alain Meyer in charge of the “Echo Pack” experience. In this container, we have three cookies, two gingerbread, natural flavor and ginger flavor, we have Genoa bread and Madeline. “

Another experience, this method of education: a bulb, an interested creature animal, plant or fungus will not be cultivated under the watchful eye of a French astronaut aboard an ISS ship.