NASA Harnesses Kraken Spinning Device to Simulate Spaceflight

This summer, NASA is using the Kraken, a 50-foot-long, 100-ton U.S. Navy research device, to simulate space motion sickness and test possible recovery strategies. The Kraken, located at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base near Dayton, Ohio, can rotate participants at exposures of up to 3G.

As missions stretch further to the Moon and eventually to Mars, a priority is reducing symptoms like dizziness, nausea, and vertigo so that astronauts stay healthy and ready for their missions.

Credit: NASA; Kraken footage courtesy of the U.S. Navy/Wright-Patterson Air Force Base