Countermeasures for psychological issues: Soundscape design for confined environments

This paper presented a research for acoustic environment design called "Soundscape" as a countermeasure for noise disturbance in space habitat. The goal is to increase the habitability in space and decrease physical and psychological discomfort for astronauts. The International Space Station (ISS) has been completed, and long-term missions have started to become the norm. It is necessary to consider crew members' mental health, which can affect crew performance during long-term and longer-duration human space missions to the Moon and Mars. Excessive stress can be caused by problems such as noise, sleep shift, having no boundary between working and living space, and isolation in a close-quartered environment. As a countermeasure for noise (about 60dB in the ISS), the soundscape (acoustic environment) design must be studied. There is insufficient innovative research for a stressful acoustic environment onboard the ISS. The purpose of this study is to provide better consideration for the stimulation to improve living and working in a stressful acoustic environment. The study reviewed and illustrated methods for universal positive effects for auditory stimulation to reduce stress. However, scientific understanding of music is still very hard and multiple elements should be considered.