Build a lunar Wall of Death to help keep astronauts fit, say experts

• Scientists say that running on a ‘Wall of Death’ could keep people fit on the moon
• Running horizontally generates enough impact to keep bones healthy 

Carnival sideshows might be an unlikely source of scientific inspiration, but some researchers say they might hold the key to future moon colonies.

To keep the residence of a future moon base fit and healthy, scientists from the University of Milan recommend a daily jog around a ‘Wall of Death’.

You might be more familiar with these scarily-named constructions as the circular walls driven around by daredevils on motorbikes.

However, the researchers found that running horizontally around the wall can generate enough artificial gravity to keep bones and muscles healthy.

They even suggest that lunar accommodation could be circular so that residents can run around the walls of their own homes.

Scientists suggest building a ‘Wall of Death’ on the moon for astronauts to run around so that they can stay fit and healthy in low-gravity

READ MORE: A workout that’s out of this world! Astronaut on board the ISS demonstrates how to use a TREADMILL in space, using a harness and bungie to simulate the feeling of jogging on Earth

When humans spend long periods of time in low gravity their muscles and bones start to weaken through lack of use.

Over extended periods of time, this can lead to reduced muscle and bone mass as well as deteriorating cardiovascular health.

Current astronauts on the ISS use resistance machines to simulate weight so that they can stave off the deteriorating effects of weightlessness.

But, as NASA starts to get serious about sending humans to the moon with the Artemis missions, the hunt is on for a better solution.

All the way back in 1968, Stanley Kubrick’s epic film ‘2001: A Space Odyssey’ imagined that astronauts might jog around the inside of a rotating space station.

Using a rented Wall of Death, some bungee-jumping bands and a 36-meter-high (118ft) the researchers tested whether astronauts could exercise in much the same way.

On Earth, only motorbikes are capable of moving quickly enough to ride the wall. This incredible stunt is a popular carnival attraction, but could also be the key to a future moon colony (file photo)

Using bungee-jumping cords and a rented Wall of Death, the researchers found that participants could quickly learn to run on the wall under simulated moon gravity

READ MORE Earth’s black box will be built THIS YEAR 

On Earth, no human can run fast enough to stay horizontal on a Wall of Death like a motorbike rider.

But with elastic bands holding 83 per cent of their weight to simulate the moon’s gravity, participants were able to start running with no assistance in just five to eight tries.

The two test subjects were able to run at speeds up to 14.5 miles per hour (23 km/h) for a couple of laps of the 30-meter (98ft) circumference.

Critically, the researchers discovered that each step on the wall generated an impact of around two to three times the participant’s body weight.

This is the equivalent force generated by a slow run or quick jog back on Earth.

It’s also enough force to prevent the body from reabsorbing calcium from bones – something that weakens the body over time.

The researchers suggest that a few minutes of running at the start and end of the day could be effective.

While something like Kubrick’s wheel-like ‘Space Station One’ generates artificial gravity by spinning, this solution lets the astronauts create their own simulated gravity.

Just like in 2001: A Space Odyssey (pictured), future astronauts could run on the walls of their living areas to keep healthy in space

While giant spinning structures could work, the researchers behind this recent paper point out that building a massive centrifuge on the moon would be far too costly.

In their paper, published in Royal Society Open Science, the authors write: ‘Moon-based centrifuges allowing locomotion inside would pose technical challenges and demand substantial electrical energy.

‘Time and cost-effective ways to emulate terrestrial locomotion on the Moon are hence required.’

In fact, the researchers propose that this could be the cheapest option for building exercise facilities on the moon since running tracks could be built right into astronauts’ homes.

A giant spinning structure like in 2001: A Space Odyssey (pictured) wouldn’t be necessary as astronauts can generate their own artificial gravity by running fast enough in circles

READ MORE: How a nondescript lab in the North-East is helping astronauts survive in space

Instead of transporting or building expensive purpose-built equipment, a moon base could simply use circular living areas which the residents could run laps around.

This would not only cut down on costs but eliminate the need for any additional electricity use that equipment might bring.

It’s unclear what the Wall of Death could be made out of, although one option could be compacted regolith – the loose rocky material on the moon.

Professor Maria Stokes, an expert in neuromusculoskeletal rehabilitation at the University of Southampton, told The Guardian: ‘A horizontal running cylinder certainly promises to be a useful countermeasure to help prevent deconditioning in reduced gravity on the moon’

However, Professor Stokes also points out that astronauts would still need specific training for everyday living and work skills in order to remain in top condition.

Read more