Main content

Nasa pay man to lie down for 70 days

Drew Iwanicki was paid to lie down for 70 days, while Nasa researchers studied him to learn about the effects of zero gravity.

Drew Iwanicki was paid 拢11,000 to lie down, at a six degree angle with his feet slightly higher than his head, for 70 days. Nasa researchers studied him, in an effort to learn more about bone and muscle atrophy as a result of zero gravity in space.

He explained that staying flat and still took some getting used to, and going for a shower involved lying down on a plastic bed moving a shower spray along his body.

鈥淚 was never able to get my back very clean, it鈥檚 not easy to scrub your back while lying on a bed鈥, he said.

When asked how he staved off boredom he explained that he was able to use his laptop, 鈥淚 was able to use a laptop relatively easily, it鈥檚 a bit difficult to hold your arms up above you when using a computer, but as with most things I was able to adjust鈥.

Mr Iwanicki told 5 Live that routine was pretty strict, even with sleep: 鈥淓very day was 鈥渓ights out at 10pm and lights on at 6am...If you were not sleeping 8 hours they would prefer if you lay completely still and keep your eyes closed鈥 he said.

Conjugal visits were also against the rules as they were classed as 鈥渦nmeasured exercise鈥! 鈥淚 tried to negotiate in anyway that I could, my girlfriend came to visit but they simply wouldn鈥檛 have it鈥, he said.

This clip is originally from 5 Live Daily on Tuesday 24 February 2015.

Release date:

Duration:

3 minutes

This clip is from

Featured in...