This timelapse shows ESA astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti working with NASA astronaut Terry Virts during the Futura mission to unpack, setup and then store the MARES muscle-measurement machine in Europe’s space laboratory Columbus on the International Space Station over two days. <br /> <br />The Muscle Atrophy Research and Exercise System, or MARES for short, is a three-in-one muscle-measurement machine on the International Space Station that monitors astronauts’ muscles as they work out. <br /> <br />Muscle strength decreases during spaceflight and researchers need to know why this happens in order to prepare for long-duration missions and safe space tourism. MARES is an exercise bench that offers detailed information about how muscles behave during spaceflight. <br /> <br />Samantha lived and worked aboard the International Space Station as part of the six-strong Expedition 42 and 43 crew in 2015. <br /> <br />Follow Samantha via http://samanthacristoforetti.esa.int/
