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06/09/2017
Thanks to MARES, SENER takes care of the physical well-being of the astronauts
People who have already had the opportunity to come to the Catalan headquarters of the SENER engineering company settled in the Barcelona Synchrotron Park were able to discover in the foyer an odd scientific facility similar to a sophisticated weight machine.

This machine is the MARES scientific instrument (Muscle Atrophy Research and Exercise System), which was designed and manufactured by a group of experts from SENER who specialize in space life support systems. This system makes it possible to research the consequences of zero gravity on human muscles, which include muscle atrophy, loss of strength, osteoporosis, and effects on neuromuscular interaction.

MARES is a scientific device of the European Space Agency that is integrated into the Columbus module of the International Space Station, and which is part of NASA’s Human Research Facility space laboratory.

MARES is currently used in the new SARCOLAB  experiment carried out in the space station that consists of electrically stimulating and measuring the knee and ankle muscles using the scientific instrument developed by SENER. As a result of the success of the first two sessions conducted by the French astronaut Thomas Pesquet, it has been scheduled to be repeated on two more astronauts this year, one European and one Russian.

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