12名志愿者从500名申请者中脱颖而出，加入了“枕上宇航员”的行列，进行为期九周的试验，模拟人类在火星失重状态下的身体状况。

　据英国《每日邮报》5月7日报道，12名志愿者从500名申请者中脱颖而出，加入了“枕上宇航员”的行列，进行为期九周的试验，模拟人类在火星失重状态下的身体状况。

　　来自法国南部图卢兹市的科学家与法国国家太空研究中心一起合作进行此次研究，通过模拟实验，测试长期处于失重状态对人类身体的影响。研究结果可能有助于久病卧床者身体恢复。

　　试验将持续一年，分为三个阶段，每个阶段为期三周。“枕上宇航员”平躺于与水平线向下成6度角的床上，头部位于床部较低的一端，并进行常规性运动，这与人类在失重状态下身体所受影响是相同的。

　　试验期间，十二位“枕上宇航员”不允许会客，饮食也由营养师严格控制，并将定期对大腿肌肉进行活体组织切片检查。

　　The 'pillownauts' helping man get to Mars by lying downfor nine WEEKS (and they even have their own 'bed spacesuits')

　　A group of 12 'pillownauts' aretaking part in a scientific bed study during which they must spend a total ofnine weeks lying at a six-degree angle below the horizontal。

　　Lying at this precise angle hasthe same affect on the human body as flying in weightlessness。

　　Scientists at the Medes Institutein Toulouse, France,in collaboration with France’sCNES space agency, are hoping to test the physical effects weightlessness canhave on astronauts during long spaceflights。

　　The results may also be useful to help rehabilitate people who arebedridden。

　　Bedrest studies are part of the European's Space Agency's (ESA) Programmefor Life and Physical Sciences。

　　During three separatethree-week periods over the course of a year, 12 volunteers lie on a bed thathas been angled at six degrees below the horizontal。

　　Lying at this angle mimics the affect flying in weightlessness has on thehuman body。

　　The volunteers heads are placed at the lower end of the bed。

　　During each three-week period, the volunteers' diet is strictly controlledby nutritionists, to see what affect diet can have on the body at this angle。

　　Regular biopsies are taken from their thigh muscles to look at howweightlessness affects muscle tissue。

　　The volunteers are not allowed any visitors。

　　Scientists also devise specific exercise routines, while the 'pillownauts'are lying horizontally, to combat the changes weightlessness has on muscles。

　　For the bedrest study, the Medes Institute received 500 applicants。

　　This list of 500 was whittleddown to 46 who then undertook medical and psychological tests。

　　Based on the results a final 12 'pillownauts' were selected。

　　Four volunteers were also put on a reserve list in case any of the chosen12 had to drop out。

　　'ESA sends us the experiments they want to conduct。

　　'From there we start to look for volunteers, which is the most criticalpart of the organisation,' says Marie-Pierre Bareille from the Medes Institute。

　　'We need to think of how thescientific experiments fit in with each other。

　　'It’s like a big jigsaw puzzle to cater for everyone’s needs', saysBarielle。

　　The volunteers have already taken part in a three-week study。

　　They will be given four months of recuperation after the current 21-dayperiod and will return in September to repeat the three-week study a third andfinal time。

　　The data from all three studies will then be collected and analysed。

(英文部分来源：dailymail.co.uk)