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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 4, 2026

Reduced-gravity Environment Hardware Demonstrations of a Prototype Miniaturized Flow Cytometer and Companion Microfluidic Mixing Technology

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Published on: November 13, 2014

Mass measuring instrument for use under microgravity conditions.

Yusaku Fujii¹, Kazuhito Shimada, Masayuki Yokota

¹Department of Electronic Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Gunma University, 1-5-1 Tenjin-cho, Kiryu, Gunma 376-8515, Japan.

The Review of Scientific Instruments

|June 3, 2008

Summary

A new space scale prototype accurately measures astronaut body mass in microgravity. This device uses force and velocity measurements, crucial for space exploration and astronaut health monitoring.

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Area of Science:

Biomedical Engineering
Space Science

Background:

Accurate measurement of astronaut body mass is essential for monitoring health and nutrition in microgravity.
Existing methods for mass measurement are often impractical or unavailable in space environments.

Purpose of the Study:

To develop and evaluate a prototype instrument, the space scale, for measuring astronaut body mass under microgravity conditions.

Main Methods:

The space scale connects an astronaut to a force transducer and optical interferometer using a rubber cord.
Astronaut mass is calculated using the impulse (integral Fdt) divided by the change in velocity (delta v).
Performance was validated using parabolic flight tests, simulating 20-second microgravity intervals.

Main Results:

The prototype space scale was successfully tested during parabolic flights.
The instrument demonstrated the capability to measure the mass of a sample object in simulated microgravity.

Conclusions:

The developed space scale shows promise as a functional instrument for determining astronaut body mass in space.
Further validation and refinement are needed for operational use in space missions.