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.

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.

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.

Samantha lived and worked aboard the International Space Station as part of the six-strong Expedition 42 and 43 crew in 2015.

Follow Samantha via http://samanthacristoforetti.esa.int/