Exercise device with reduced vibration to keep the crew healthy in orbit and to prepare them for return to Earth

The T2 Combined Operational Load Bearing External Resistance Treadmill, or Colbert, was temporarily installed in Node-2 of the International Space Station (ISS) in September 2009 as an important exercise device to keep the crew healthy in orbit and to prepare them for return to Earth. It has been moved to its permanent place in Node-3. The T2 treadmill is adapted from a regular treadmill but designed so as not to shake the rest of the Station. This vibration damping system does not use power and hence makes it more reliable. The astronauts use elastic straps over the shoulders and round the waist to keep them in contact with the running belt and generate the foot force necessary to give the astronaut’s bones and muscles a workout in weightlessness. The treadmill is also wider than the TVIS treadmill in the Zvezda Module. Although it is built to handle 240 000 km of running, it will likely see about 60 000 km during its time in orbit.