Virtual Reality

   

Spending long periods of time in space can be a psychologically demanding experience, but a new virtual reality system could give NASA astronauts a welcome escape.

        The system, which features the super-advanced Oculus Rift virtual reality display, would allow spacefarers to virtually visit friends and family at home, or places such as the beach — complete with the sounds of waves breaking, the smell of saltwater and the feel of an ocean breeze, the researchers said.

      The virtual world will also extend to other senses beyond sight..is it?

We will augment the experience through sound, create a breeze with fans, add smells — anything we can do to trick the brain into feeling like they are transported into a new space.

     The Virtual Space Station is a much more advanced computer interface than typical Internet-based therapy programs, said Mark Hegel, a clinical psychologist at the Dartmouth Institute who is a co-investigator on the project.

       But would real astronauts get any benefit from the virtual program? To find out, the researchers are testing the Virtual Space Station on two long-duration simulated space missions.

     Of course, it's impossible to know how an astronaut on a real mission would feel about using the system.