Instrument for measuring the mass of an astronaut

A practical and lightweight instrument for measuring the mass of astronauts under microgravity conditions is proposed. The principle of our 'space balance' is as follows. Connect the subject astronaut to the base with a rubber cord. Use a force transducer to measure the force acting on the subject and an optical interferometer to measure the acceleration of the subject. The subject's mass is calculated as the force divided by the acceleration, i.e. M = F/a. For the proof-of-concept ground model developed for this paper, linear motion of the mass with a negligible external force was achieved using an aerostatic linear bearing.