Top of Page Exercising on the Space Shuttle Exercising in Space On Earth, some people like to exercise more than others. Aboard the Space Shuttle, astronauts have little choice. On earlier missions, scientists discovered that astronauts suffered some bone and muscle deterioration because their bodies were not getting the resistance they were used to in gravity. This website is about how the astronauts live and work aboard the Space Shuttle. In microgravity, most routine activities, such as preparing a meal or bathing, are no longer easy chores and require the use of special equipment and techniques.
Some astronauts become ill while traveling in space, their ailment being similar to car sickness.
This illness is called space sickness. Although space sickness gets better within a few days, it causes headaches, lethargy and sleepiness. In a weightless environment there is no air, therefore making space a vacuum with no air pressure. Space suits protect the human body, which could not function otherwise in this type of environment. All Shuttle crewmembers wear a type of protective suit during launch and entry.