If you’ve ever wondered if lying down could be a job, you’ll be interested to know that the European Space Agency is paying over $5,000 to those willing to lie down for 10 days.
The ESA experiment, titled Vivaldi III, is being conducted at the Medes Space Clinic at the University Hospital of Toulouse in France. This is the third such test, and its goal is to recreate some of the effects of how spaceflight impacts the human body.
It seems simple, but there’s a catch: participants in the experiment must be slightly submerged in water during the test. This is because the sensation of floating in water is closest to the feeling of zero gravity.
“During Vivaldi III, 10 volunteers lie in bathtub-like containers, covered with waterproof fabric. This keeps them dry and evenly suspended in the water,” explained ESA.
“Submerged above the torso, with arms and head kept above the water, the participants experience the sensation of floating without physical support — something close to what astronauts feel aboard the International Space Station.”
But if a person has to lie down for 10 days, how do they go to the bathroom? “To go to the bathroom, participants are temporarily transferred to a stretcher, maintaining a lying position the whole time,” explained ESA.
In addition to the 10 days of lying down, participants must be hospitalized for a total of 21 days so that scientists can monitor their condition before and after the experiment.
While you’ll be completely alone, the use of cell phones is allowed to contact your loved ones. “You can make phone or video calls. However, you will not be able to receive visitors,” added ESA.
Photo and video: European Space Agency. This content was created with the help of AI and reviewed by the editorial team.
