Human space research gets a boost from retired NASA centrifuge – Texas A&M Stories Skip to content View All Stories Science & Tech Human space research gets a boost from retired NASA centrifuge A NASA centrifuge finds a new home at Texas A&M’s Anthony Wood ’87 Artificial Gravity Lab, enhancing research on health impacts of human space travel. April 20, 2026 By Alyssa Schaechinger Texas A&M University College of Engineering 5 min. read Credit: Texas A&M Engineering Texas A&M University is preparing for a new era of space research with the launch of a research centrifuge at the Anthony Wood ’87 Artificial Gravity Lab, supported by the WoodNext Foundation. Set to become one of the most advanced human centrifuge facilities in the United States, the lab can simulate lunar and Martian gravity for extended periods of time, allowing researchers to test how changes in gravity affect the human body. Originally built in 2005 for NASA’s Constellation Space Exploration Program, the centrifuge was designed to help scientists explore how astronauts respond physiologically to reduced‑gravity environments experienced on the Moon, and eventually Mars. When the program was canceled in 2009, the facility was disassembled and stored at the NASA Johnson Space Center, where it remained in controlled storage for more than a decade. With assistance from the Texas A&M University System Chancellor’s Research Initiative (CRI), aerospace engineering professor and former NASA astronaut Dr. Bonnie J. Dunbar established a new building for the centrifuge, and NASA gifted it to Texas A&M and the Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station (TEES). Engineering firm KBR Inc. originally built the centrifuge for NASA at the University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB) and served as its primary integrator. With support from the WoodNext Foundation , which manages the philanthropy of Roku CEO and Founder Anthony Wood ’87 and his wife, Susan ’89, Texas A&M is expanding the centrifuge’s capabilities to advance astronaut health research and enable long-duration studies on human physiology in reduced gravity environments. A centerpiece for space health research Dr. Bonnie J. Dunbar observes a participant from the centrifuge control room. Credit: Emily Oswald/Texas A&M Engineering “The centrifuge fills a critical national need. The U.S. currently lacks a domestic capability for combined bed‑rest and centrifuge studies — key tools for investigating long‑duration spaceflight’s effect on the body,” Dunbar said. “As a result, NASA has been required to send federally funded human research studies abroad, a process that is expensive and logistically complex.” Researchers will use the centrifuge facility to examine how different human systems, such as the cardiovascular system, respond to prolonged exposure to gravitational changes such as the Moon at one-sixth the gravitational level of Earth and Mars at three-eighths the gravitational level of Earth. These studies are essential for improving balance, blood flow, physical endurance and overall physiological resilience for astronauts during and after spaceflight. Findings could directly shape countermeasures against negative health impacts used in future space missions. “Reopening the centrifuge at Texas A&M provides the U.S. an essential research capability,” Dunbar said. “We’re positioning Texas A&M to be a centerpiece for space health research at a time when the nation is returning to the Moon and planning for future exploration of Mars.” The NASA Human Research Program has already funded a research project using the centrifuge. The primary investigator for “Gravity Dose” studies on the cardiovascular system is Dr. Ana Diaz Artiles with Dunbar as the co-investigator. Artiles is currently in Europe conducting parabolic flight studies to determine impacts of gravity changes on the body. Results of these studies will complement the upcoming centrifuge research. Dunbar’s research plans include experiments examining skin blood flow and heat transfer in different gravitational regimes — data that will support next‑generation spacesuit design. Understanding how heat moves across the body in low‑gravity environments could help engineers create safer, more thermally balanced spacesuits. How the centrifuge works Engineering student David Laygo prepares for a spin on the centrifuge. Credit: Emily Oswald/Texas A&M Engineering The centrifuge employs centripetal force to simulate different levels of gravity by spinning a subject around a fixed point. The faster the spin and the further the subject is from the fixed point, the stronger the simulated gravity. This can be visualized through a game of tetherball. The farther away the ball is from the pole, the slower the ball moves. As the rope shortens and the ball gets closer to the pole, the ball begins to increase in speed. In this case, the ball represents the centrifuge subject, and the pole represents the centrifuge’s fixed point. The centrifuge is controlled by a professional operator from the neighboring control room. The research team determines the distance of the subject from the center of rotation, while the operator controls the rotation speed to achieve the desired acceleration at points on the body, such as the heart and feet. Professional operators from KBR are currently supporting centrifuge operations. Human research subjects will experience continuous artificial gravity at lunar or Martian levels, enabling long‑duration physiological studies — a rarity in human space research. Current trials are only minutes long but could eventually extend up to two hours. Serving future astronauts The research conducted at the centrifuge has the potential to extend beyond Texas A&M. NASA officials expressed enthusiasm about its potential for integrated bed‑rest and artificial‑gravity studies. The artificial gravity lab could eventually serve astronauts returning from spaceflight, offering a controlled environment for recovery, rehabilitation and post‑flight physiological analysis. Data collected at the facility will contribute directly to NASA’s understanding of human performance in partial gravity. This will inform mission planning, spacecraft and suit design, as well as long‑term health strategies for lunar and Martian operations. The centrifuge is more than a piece of advanced equipment — it symbolizes Texas A&M’s role in the future of human space exploration. “This facility puts Texas A&M at the forefront of the science that will carry humans back to the Moon and eventually to Mars,” Dunbar said. “We are proud to support the next chapter of America’s journey into deep space.” Tags Aerospace Engineering health care research space Media Contact Alyson Chapman Texas A&M University College of Engineering achapman@tamu.edu Share this News Related News Texas A&M University named one of the world’s Most Innovative Companies by Fast Company for the second straight year Texas A&M joins Adidas, Door Dash, OpenAI and Starbucks on the list of companies turning big ideas into reality. What if humans could regrow tissue? Texas A&M study moves science closer Researchers have successfully regenerated skeletal and connective tissue — even if not perfectly formed — demonstrating the next, critical step in limb regeneration. 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