Real Madrid has been making headlines not only on the football field, but also in the realm of space exploration. With their revenue surpassing €1 billion and a squad valued at €1.8 billion, the club has now ventured into a partnership with NASA through their physical trainer, Antonio Pintus.
Pintus, known for his intense training methods that combine technology and data analysis, has been working with NASA as part of the Artemis program. This program aims to return humans to the moon for the first time since 1972. Pintus visited NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas, to share his training techniques and discuss how they can be applied to astronauts’ fitness during missions.
The relationship between Pintus and NASA began during a training session in Houston when Carlos Garcia-Galan, an engineer at NASA, met Pintus and discovered their shared interests. Pintus’ visit to the Johnson Space Center allowed him to see firsthand the astronauts’ preparation and even ride in a simulator of the vehicle that will be used in the Orion mission.
NASA was impressed by Pintus’ use of data to personalize training programs for each player at Real Madrid. This led them to consider developing specific exercises or machines that could be used by astronauts in space to maintain their fitness levels. The collaboration between Pintus and NASA continues to evolve, with discussions on potential areas of study and future presentations together.
While there is no indication of Pintus leading a space mission himself, the partnership between Real Madrid’s physical trainer and NASA highlights the innovative approaches being taken in both sports and space exploration. The exchange of ideas and collaboration between different fields can lead to new insights and improvements in training methods for athletes and astronauts alike.