Skylab Lower Body Negative Pressure Experiment

The Skylab Lower Body Negative Pressure experiment was used to simulate blood pooling in the legs while in zero-G.

The astronaut inserted his legs into the device, a tube constructed of anodized aluminum, sealed himself at the waist by means of a zippered opening and Velcro overlap, and a belt which encircled the waist just outside the metal opening. A partial vacuum was drawn by venting some of the air to the vacuum of space.

Measurements, including blood pressure and heart rate, where taken and compared to pre-flight measurements.

Additional information about this experiment is available in Lower Body Negative Pressure: Third Manned Skylab Mission.