Research & development
Bringing Immersive Technology to the International Space Station
Nord Space helped bring virtual reality into orbit as part of ESA astronaut Andreas Mogensen’s Huginn mission aboard the International Space Station. The VR Mental Care / Virtual Assistance Mental Balance (VAMB) project explored how immersive technology could give astronauts a mental break from the confined and demanding environment of long-duration spaceflight — providing access to calming virtual environments while living hundreds of kilometres above Earth.
Nord Space role: Prime
Challenge
Long-duration space missions place astronauts in an exceptionally demanding environment. Crews live and work for months in a confined, highly structured setting with limited privacy, constant operational demands and very little access to the natural environments we experience on Earth. As future human missions move beyond low-Earth orbit towards the Moon and eventually Mars, maintaining astronaut well-being will become an increasingly important part of mission design. The challenge was therefore twofold: could virtual reality provide astronauts with meaningful moments of relaxation - and could a commercial VR system be adapted to work reliably in microgravity?
Approach
Nord Space collaborated with HTC VIVE and XRHealth to develop a VR-based mental well-being solution for use aboard the International Space Station. A specially adapted VIVE Focus 3 headset was prepared for operation in microgravity, where conventional VR tracking presents unique challenges because there is no gravitational reference for maintaining orientation. The system provided Andreas Mogensen with immersive 360° environments selected to create a sense of calm and connection to Earth - including forests, mountains, coastlines and other natural surroundings. The headset was transported to the ISS and used during Andreas Mogensen’s six-month Huginn mission, turning the concept into a real human-spaceflight experiment rather than a ground-based simulation.
Outcome
The VR Mental Care system was successfully used aboard the International Space Station and was well received by Andreas Mogensen and his colleagues, giving astronauts the opportunity to step away from the station environment and experience relaxing virtual surroundings. The project demonstrated the potential for immersive technology to become part of future astronaut-support systems - particularly as missions become longer, more isolated and travel farther from Earth. Beyond demonstrating VR technology in microgravity, the project provided valuable experience in adapting commercial immersive hardware for the extreme constraints of human spaceflight. For Nord Space, the project represents a unique example of turning an innovative technology concept into a solution tested and used in space.
Capabilities applied
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