The new research center :envihab at the German Aerospace Center (DLR) in Cologne represents a bridge between the traditional medicine on Earth and the space medicine. The structure, with an area of 3500 square meters and a cost of 30 million Euro, will be used to study the effects of extreme environmental conditions on the human body and to determine the possible countermeasures. For example, the researchers will study the effects of aging, bed rest, immobilization and isolation on Earth.