In order to reduce astronaut adaptation time and provide a safety countermeasure during extravehicular activity (EVA), this research effort investigates astronaut reorientation. Even though astronauts undergo hundreds of hours of training, the strategies for locomotion and orientation in a reduced gravity environment are not specifically prescribed. The problem of self-rotation, which is a human-body rotation without external torques, has been previously studied to determine its feasibility (Kulwicki et al., 1962; Scher and Kane, 1969; Parin and Gazenko, 1975). Since astronauts are not familiar with reorienting without external forces, they are unlikely to develop self-rotation techniques naturally. The goal of the current study was to experimentally examine the effects of rotation training. Understanding self-rotation will help develop an astronaut motion-training program and could contribute to safety countermeasures during EVA.
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