100 days of isolation: ESA launches simulated space study in Germany

[Buster's Uncle]

dpa international
100 days of isolation: ESA launches simulated space study in Germany
DPA
Mon, December 1, 2025 at 11:44 AM EST
1 min read



Josef Aschbacher, ESA Director General, speaks during a press conference at the end of the ESA Ministerial Council meeting. Sina Schuldt/dpa


Six test subjects are being sought for a space study in which they will live in isolation in a laboratory in the German city of Cologne for 100 days.

The study is being initiated by the European Space Agency (ESA) and will be carried out in spring 2026 by the German Aerospace Centre (DLR).

At the same time, the DLR is also looking for participants for a 60-day bed rest study on gravity simulation, according to a statement issued on Monday.

Participants in the isolation study will receive €23,000 in compensation. People between the ages of 25 and 55 are eligible to apply.

In addition to physical fitness, a university degree and very good English skills are required. Applications can be submitted until December 12 via the website dlr-probandensuche.de

During the 100 days, the six participants will live in a simulated space station with fixed daily routines: they will work together on tasks, play sports and take care of the station.

The results will help prepare astronauts for long-term missions. "Future space missions will have distant destinations such as the Moon or Mars in their sights," said study leader Amelie Therre, adding that the effects of extreme conditions on health, behaviour and performance must be researched.

Another project aims to investigate how physical impairments caused by weightlessness can be counteracted. The 60-day bed rest study features beds that are tilted downwards by six degrees at the head end. This causes body fluids to shift towards the head, as they do in space.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/100-days-isolation-esa-launches-164443032.html