Dry Immersion

Dry immersion is a ground-based model of prolonged conditions of microgravity. It involves immersing the subject in water covered with an elastic waterproof fabric. Within a relatively short duration, the model can faithfully reproduce most physiological effects of actual microgravity.

ESA recently led two dry immersion validation studies: VIVALDI I (an all-female study) and VIVALDI II (an all-male study). Through these studies, we hope to identify specifically what changes happen to the body during weightlessness, how long those changes take to happen, and how they compare to both spaceflight and other ground-based microgravity analogues.The results from both studies are currently being analysed and will inform future countermeasure studies.

More information on the ESA VIVALDI studies can be found here.