By SPACE.com Staff
Posted: 24 August 2009 01:15 pm ET
NASA is poised to launch a new treadmill named for comedian Stephen Colbert to the International Space Station on the shuttle Discovery on Tuesday and at least one astronaut has taken it for a test spin. But what's it like, running in space?
Astronaut Sunita Williams, who lived aboard the space station for almost seven months in 2007, ran a marathon in space during her trip, making her an expert of sorts on jogging in orbit."I tried a COLBERT mockup at Johnson Space Center," Williams has said, adding that the treadmill is broader than one on the station today. "So you don't have to watch out where your feet go. It allows a wider, more natural gait." Still, it's a strange experience, one in which sweat floats and your feet might, too. The new treadmill will launch alongside 15,200 pounds (6,894 kg) of new science gear and supplies. It will complement the space station's array of exercise equipment that helps astronauts fight the bone loss and muscle decay associated with space travel. Discovery is slated to launch Tuesday at 1:36 a.m. EDT (0536 GMT) from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida to begin a 13-day mission to the International Space Station.
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