Envihab

At the heart of the facility is a human centrifuge. Module 1 houses the DLR short-arm centrifuge, a custom-built system for experiments with increased gravity. It serves primarily as a countermeasure to the health risks of weightlessness. Oxygen reduction areas and a pressure area can simulate altitudes of up to 5,500 m. In the physiology lab/barometric complex (M2), experiments run under changing atmospheric conditions, such as scenarios from aviation, spaceflight and mountaineering.

Individual modules can be sealed off from the outside environment, alone or in combination. This applies to acoustics, temperature, humidity and light including daily cycles, and in part also oxygen content and pressure. The EnviSim test facility realistically reproduces typical conditions of environments such as an aircraft cabin, a space station or a field hospital. For this purpose, test subjects are isolated, immobilized and deliberately exposed to stressful situations. They live in the residential and simulation facility (M3).

The building follows a modular house-in-house principle. A medical core area connects the modules, so everything can be used without leaving the building. Large training or simulation equipment can be installed. The publicly accessible EnviMeet area provides information about the goals and structure of the facility. It also gives visitors an impression of how science is practiced here.