Is He The Next Aladdin?

If you think being an astronaut is all work and no play, you haven't met Koichi Wakata. Every time he goes, he manages to perform at least one fun experiment.

On his last mission, he and a fellow astronaut became the first people to play a board game in Space. This time around, he plans to 'fly' in Space on a magic carpet - And that's just one of the fun things he will be doing.

The experiment, scheduled for later this month, is among 16 ideas that were selected from over 1,500 sent in by people ranging from Kindergartners, to a 90-year old Japanese man.

Other fun experiments that Koichi will also conduct, include putting eye drops in zero gravity, folding laundry (probably a mum suggestion!), doing push-ups and back flips, and the best of all - arm wrestling with another astronaut!

In case you are wondering, Koichi will be doing some 'real' work too, during his three-month stay. His main mission is to measure the effect of weightlessness on the human body in zero gravity.

Over the years, scientists have discovered that weightlessness causes human bones to deteriorate at a rate 10-times faster than on earth, even after exercising in excess of two hours a day. A way to reverse that will be crucial, before astronauts attain the next frontier in Space - Planet Mars!

We for one, can't wait to see Koichi on his magic carpet - Hopefully, he will be tethered to the Space Station.

Sources: dsc.discovery.com, calgaryherald.com, timesofindia.com