Load suit

Even during the preparation for space flights, a problem was identified and indicated that weightlessness and, as a consequence, lack of load, leads to a general deterioration in health. Among the main effects of a prolonged stay in zero gravity is the complex of phenomena of “non-use” or “atrophy from inaction” developing under these conditions caused by the absence of gravitational stimuli.

In the 60s. Studies have been conducted with 70- and 100-day human inactivity . Hypodynamia - a long-term decrease in range of motion with a predominant decrease in movement in large joints. According to the results of these studies, without work, the muscles weaken and gradually atrophy, softening of bone tissue, redistribution of blood flow, etc. takes place ^[1] .

The first manned space flights under the Vostok, Voskhod and Soyuz programs in the period 1961-1969. did not exceed five days, and although they already showed changes in medical indications due to the influence of weightlessness and limited movement, they were considered insignificant.

Nevertheless, for future long flights, they began to develop integrated training systems, simulators and load-bearing suits based on anti - overload and high-altitude compensating suits.

Particularly acute problem arose after a record flight of the crew of the Soyuz-9 apparatus - Andriyan Nikolaev and Vitaly Sevastyanov . In preparation for this flight, a training system was prepared on the basis of the well-known provisions that for preserving muscle strength, short-term (for 5-7 s) maximum muscle tension is enough 1 time daily.

After a 17-day flight and return to Earth, the astronauts could not stand on their feet, had serious problems in physical activity, periodically lost consciousness. ^[2]

The consequences of the Soyuz-9 flight had to revise the timing and extent of the effects of inactivity in zero gravity.

To solve the problem in 1971, a penguin load suit was developed.

For the next long flights to the Salyut-1 station, it was supposed to use, in addition to the simulator complex, a Penguin load suit and a Wind vacuum container. The Soyuz-10 expedition was short-lived. The Soyuz-11 crew managed to take advantage of the entire complex, but due to the accident during landing and the sudden death of the crew, it was not possible to conduct a study of the effectiveness of suits, but during the flight there was an improvement in physical activity.

The next long-term mission was carried out at the Salyut-3 station. The Soyuz-14 crew used a penguin load suit. The flight duration was 13 days, and compared with the crew of Soyuz-9, the health of Pavel Popovich and Yuri Artyukhin during landing was much better. Which fully confirmed the effectiveness and necessity of using load-bearing suits.

The principles of operation and use of load-bearing suits during subsequent long-term expeditions did not change much. In particular, these devices were also used in the record-breaking flight duration (437 days) of cosmonaut Valery Polyakov at Mir station ( Soyuz TM-18 - Soyuz TM-20 ) ^[3] .

The axial loading prophylactic suit is used for the rehabilitation and prophylaxis of the consequences of a long stay in zero gravity.

Example: "Penguin" ^[4] , "Regent", "Adele"

A preventive vacuum suit is designed to create a vacuum on the lower body and a longitudinal load on its musculoskeletal system in order to prevent the adverse effects of weightlessness

Example: "Wind", "Lapwing" ^[5]

Also, load-bearing suits are sometimes referred to as overload and high-altitude-compensating suits because of a similar principle of action - the load on part or all of the muscle complex.

A long stay in weightlessness leads to muscle weakness, softening of bone tissue, redistribution of blood flow. Neural-reflex connections are broken, leading to a disorder of the nervous system ( vegetative-vascular dystonia , depression , myofascial syndromes develop), and metabolism is disturbed. Over time, due to physical inactivity, changes in the musculoskeletal system increase: bone mass progressively decreases, bone tissue loses potassium and calcium, becomes loose and brittle ( osteoporosis develops), peripheral joint function ( osteoarthrosis ) and spine ( osteochondrosis ) function. ^[6] Blood flows into the lower part of the body, you can only sit or lie down - otherwise a loss of consciousness occurs.

For the rehabilitation and prevention of the consequences of a long stay in zero gravity, load-bearing suits are used. It provides a constant load on the bone-supporting apparatus and a load on the muscular system mainly of the legs and torso.

Later, adapted versions of the workout suit began to be used in rehabilitation medicine, in the rehabilitation of patients with impaired musculoskeletal functions. ^[7]

Axial loading prophylactic loading suit consists of a set of elastic elements providing load. The loading suit acts as an elastic external frame that fixes the physiologically correct posture of the patient and corrects the trajectories of his movements, not limiting their amplitude, but only making them harder for therapeutic purposes. ^[eight]

A preventive vacuum suit has a slightly different principle. Using a vacuum pump, an area of ​​reduced pressure is created in the lower part of the body and thus eliminates the effect of weightlessness, forcing the liquid to flow to the lower extremities. This helps reduce intracranial pressure. ^[9]

Overload suit
Height-compensating suit

Spacesuit