As commander for his next six-month mission aboard the ISS, French astronaut Thomas Pesquet will not forget to exercise. The goal is to lose as little muscle mass as possible during your stay. To do this, he will use virtual reality technology that will allow him to cycle in total immersion on real routes, some of which are in France.
On April 22, 2021, Thomas Pesquet will join the International Space Station (ISS) as part of the European Space Agency (ESA) Alpha mission. The promoted French captain will therefore have several responsibilities such as ensuring day-to-day management, facilitating the work of the crew and making decisions in an emergency situation. He will also have to carry out numerous scientific experiments. However, like the other members of the crew, Thomas Pesquet will also have to do two hours of sport a day in order to limit his loss of muscle mass .
The French start-up Perform VR has developed a technology that he will use:Fit Immersion. This device includes a virtual reality helmet allowing the user to ride a bike using existing routes in reality . The goal is to practice cycling while having the impression of being on Earth.
According to Perform VR, Thomas Pesquet will have the opportunity to cycle through the streets of Paris, climb the Col de la Gineste near Marseille or even around Saint Petersburg (Russia). While the astronaut will be 400 km from Earth, he will be able to choose different sessions lasting half an hour each.
The start-up designed these sessions using the capture of very real environments in 360° video. This is what then "teleports" the user into those same environments. In addition to the VR helmet, Thomas Pesquet will have other equipment including pedals equipped with a power sensor to record his performance precisely.
Also, it will not be simple workouts. Indeed, the test of this material will be part of the twelve experiments that Thomas Pesquet will carry out for the Center for the Development of Microgravity Activities and Space Operations (Cadmos).
Former airline pilot, Thomas Pesquet (43) became in 2016 the tenth Frenchman to go into space . During his stay, the astronaut had conducted a hundred experiments on behalf of ESA, CNES and NASA. He also has two six-hour spacewalks (EVA) to his credit. Since his return to Earth, Thomas Pesquet had never hidden his desire to join the ISS again, which will therefore be done soon and as commander!
