"Half of 21 Days Spent on a Waterbed Earns About 8 Million Won"... What Kind of Part-Time Job Is This?

European Space Agency Conducts "Vivaldi Project"
Studying the Effects of Weightlessness on the Human Body

The European Space Agency (ESA) is conducting an experiment in which participants lie on a waterbed for 10 days to study the effects of weightlessness on the human body. Participants will be compensated with 5,000 euros (approximately 7.9 million KRW).

According to ESA's official blog on the 18th, the Vivaldi3 project, which began last month, is underway at the MEDES Space Clinic in Toulouse, France. Vivaldi3 is the final experiment of the Vivaldi project, which aims to study the effects of space living on the human body.

A participant of the Vivaldi Project is lying on a waterbed while eating. Screenshot from the European Space Agency (ESA) official blog.

This project involves two separate studies conducted simultaneously, with 10 participants each in the dry immersion study and the head-down bed rest study. Participants are healthy, non-smoking males aged 20 to 40, with heights between 165 and 180 cm and a body mass index (BMI) between 20 and 26. They also regularly exercise and have no allergies or dietary restrictions.

First, participants undergo baseline measurements for five days. Then, they live for 10 days lying in a space resembling a bathtub filled with water and covered with a waterproof sheet, with their entire body except for their arms and head submerged.

ESA explained, "This allows participants to float evenly in water while remaining dry. Participants experience the sensation of floating without physical support, with their torso submerged and arms and head above water. This is similar to what astronauts feel aboard the International Space Station."

During meals, participants use a small table and neck pillow. When bathroom use is necessary, participants are temporarily moved to a trolley to maintain a comfortable posture.

Capture from the official blog of the European Space Agency (ESA)

After the 10-day weightlessness experiment, participants undergo five days of health assessments and recovery, followed by one day of follow-up examinations. Participants will stay in the hospital for a total of 21 days and receive 5,000 euros (7.9 million KRW) each as compensation.

ESA stated, "The results of this study could also help design new treatments for patients who are bedridden for long periods, the elderly, and those with musculoskeletal disorders."