SPACE CAMP TO BEAT THE BENDS.

This article reports that on Monday, the astronauts from the shuttle Atlantis, Heidemarie Stefanyshyn-Piperand and Joe Tanner, camped out in the deliberately reduced pressure of the International Space Station's airlock. This is a new method which protects the astronauts from decompression sickness. Generally, astronauts have to do rigorous exercise on a stationary bicycle, just before leaving the station. The process of camping-out has the same effect and it also saves time.