LIGHT FOR ASTRONAUTS
Danish architecture studio SAGA Space Architects, who designed an origami-inspired habitat and tested it for future moon missions, is now working on helping astronauts irregular sleeping patterns in space by devising a multicolored light panel that, depending on the light set, can relax and energize space travelers.
The design team claims that one of the factors contributing to the astronaut’s restlessness in space is also driven by the lack of natural light that stimulates a healthy circadian rhythm, or the body’s internal clock. By developing a lamp that changes its glow, therefore affecting the circadian rhythm of the astronauts, the design team intends to relieve the space traveler of their insomnia.
Progress is just behind SAGA Space Architects as the European Space Agency and the Danish Ministry of Higher Education and Science have given the design team the opportunity to test the Circadian Light onboard the International Space Station through the SpaceX Dragon to see if the device can improve the sleep of astronauts living on the space station and, ultimately, humans settling on the Moon and Mars.
COMBATS CHALLENGING SLEEP ENVIRONMENT
During a 90-day analog space mission in Northern Greenland, SAGA Space Architects went to test a prototype of their Circadian Light Panel. They woke up the crew with a bright sunset, varied the light throughout the day, and ended with a warm sunset that helped control their circadian rhythm, break the monotony of their day and body clock, and, as the design team’s study states, improve the crews’ sleeping patterns.
Further studies on the circadian lamp’s effectiveness are slated to be conducted during the summer of 2023. The Circadian Light Panel is set to be loaded onto the cargo bay of a SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft, flying to the International Space Station. Here, European Space Agency astronaut and Crew-7 Pilot Andreas Mogensen will test the lighting system on the HUGINN Mission, his planned six-month stay onboard the ISS, to evaluate how well the system can combat the challenging sleep environment the space station offers.
PROGRAMMED TO AUTOMATICALLY ADJUST THE LIGHT
Seven types of LED light flow out of SAGA Space Architects’ Circadian Light Panel. Their light spectrum is tailored to artificially trigger the snoozing patterns of the space travelers as close to the astronaut’s natural rhythm as possible. The lamp has three faces that emit light at different angles, each of these directions emits different wavelengths to promote alertness or induce sleepiness. SAGA’s light panel is also programmed to automatically adjust the light according to the astronaut’s planned sleep schedule.
Through the meticulous use of different hues of color to simulate intense sunrises, varied daylight, and calming sunsets, the Circadian Light can regulate the astronauts’ circadian rhythms and ensure that they focus during the day and sleep during the night. ‘Without sleep, astronauts cannot perform at their best and live up to the demanding environment that space offers. With the Circadian Light, SAGA strives to crack this problem and improve the well-being of current and future astronauts,’ says SAGA Space Architects.