Matthew Wells Tests HIFIm Space Gym in 22-Second Weightless Flights
Updated
Updated · BBC.com · May 22
Matthew Wells Tests HIFIm Space Gym in 22-Second Weightless Flights
5 articles · Updated · BBC.com · May 22
Olympic bronze medallist Matthew Wells trialled HIFIm’s rowing attachment aboard parabolic flights, where each maneuver created 22 seconds of weightlessness to collect performance data.
The British device is being developed to keep astronauts fit on long missions while cutting daily exercise time from about 2 hours on the ISS to roughly 30 minutes.
HIFIm’s team says the compact machine can support 300 exercises, needs no electrical power and isolates vibrations that could disrupt experiments or spacecraft structures.
ESA, NASA, the Canadian Space Agency and the UK Space Agency have all contributed to development or testing as multiple groups compete to supply exercise systems for future stations and lunar missions.
That push reflects a basic spaceflight problem: without loading from gravity, astronauts quickly lose muscle, bone density, coordination and cardiovascular fitness.
With Europe's E4D already on the ISS, can Britain's powerless HIFIm device still win the race to equip future Moon missions?
When will this space-age gym tech, designed for astronauts, be adapted to combat age-related bone and muscle loss on Earth?
How does a device built by Star Wars engineers plan to outperform NASA's existing exercise solutions for deep-space travel?
Olympic Medallist Matthew Wells Validates HIFIm Space Gym in Microgravity: A 2026 Breakthrough for Astronaut and Earth Health
Overview
On May 20, 2026, Olympic medallist Matthew Wells tested the HIFIm space gym during a parabolic flight, simulating microgravity conditions. This test was a major step in validating HIFIm for future space missions. Wells performed various exercises during intervals of weightlessness, providing important insights into the device’s performance. He reported that HIFIm delivered stable and adjustable resistance, which is essential for muscle conditioning and preventing bone loss in space. The successful test showed that HIFIm can support astronauts’ health during long missions, moving it closer to becoming standard equipment for space exploration.