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Author
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Topic: STS-120: Astronaut wristband
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Mary13
Member Posts: 24
From: Vienna, Austria, Europe
Registered: Mar 2007
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posted 11-02-2007 08:39 PM
  
Hi, while looking at the STS-120 Flight Day 10 Gallery, I noticed a wristband on Doug Wheelock's right arm (see photo below). I just wondered which function it has. (It doesn't look like he wears it just because it's beautiful) I couldn't find such a wristband on other photos of this mission.
 I hope someone here happens to know an answer. Mary |
Robert Pearlman
Editor Posts: 42988
From: Houston, TX
Registered: Nov 1999
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posted 11-02-2007 08:56 PM
That would be the Actiwatch, part of the Sleep-Wake Actigraphy and Light Exposure During Spaceflight-Short (Sleep-Short) experiment that records the activity of crewmembers and the ambient light they experience. From the website: quote:
The success and effectiveness of manned spaceflight depends on the ability of crewmembers to maintain a high level of cognitive performance and vigilance while operating and monitoring sophisticated instrumentation. Astronauts during short space flights, however, commonly experience sleep disruption and may experience misalignment of circadian phase during spaceflight. Both of these conditions are associated with insomnia, and impairment of alertness and cognitive performance.Relatively little is known of the prevalence or cause of spaceflight induced insomnia in short duration missions. This experiment will use state of the art ambulatory technology to monitor sleep-wake activity patterns and light exposure in crewmembers aboard the Space Shuttle. Subjects will wear a small, light-weight activity and light recording device (Actiwatch) for the entire duration of their mission. The sleep-wake activity and light exposure patterns obtained in-flight will be compared with baseline data collected on Earth before and after spaceflight. The data collected should help us better understand the effects of spaceflight on sleep as well as aid in the development of effective countermeasures for short duration spaceflight.
Sleep-Short has previously flown on a number of space shuttle missions as well as ISS expeditions. If you look through the STS-120 gallery, you can see that the Expedition 16 crew has the Actiwatches on as well (with yellow wristbands) as does Pam Melroy (blue band) and other members of her crew (e.g. Stephanie Wilson, wearing red). |
kyra
Member Posts: 583
From: Louisville CO US
Registered: Aug 2003
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posted 11-05-2007 10:51 PM
This is really a cool study with implications for other related problems such as insomnia and Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). I personally suffer from the latter. I even sleep with the lights on during the winter ! Oddly enough there was a pic of the crew sleeping in the fully lit middeck on STS-120.I checked the website of the manufacturer, and the model worn in space is the AW-L. The little circle (not the color code dot) is a photosensor. Edited by kyra on November 05, 2007 at 10:56 PM. | |
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