Mission Beyond: The Acoustic Diagnostics Experiment on Board the International Space Station

Acoustic Diagnostics is an Italian Space Agency (ASI) biomedical experiment exploiting the diagnostic potential of otoacoustic emissions (OAEs) to monitor the astronauts’ hearing health on board the International Space Station (ISS). It is being performed (July 2019–April 2020) on the ISS, in the framework of the BEYOND mission, sponsored by European Space Agency (ESA). A dedicated instrument for measuring distortion product OAE (DPOAE) in a noisy environment was designed by University of Rome Tor Vergata and INAIL. Aerospace Logistics Technology Engineering Company (ALTEC) took care of the payload development, mechanical, thermal and electromagnetic tests, verification, and acceptance. Two astronauts were subjected, before leaving for their mission on the ISS, to the DPOAE test, along with a full set of audiological tests (Baseline Data Collection, BDC), especially designed at University of Roma La Sapienza and Campus Bio-Medico. An identical DPOAE apparatus was used five times on board the ISS to test the two astronauts. Finally, a post-flight BDC was performed, few days after return to Earth. Preliminary analysis demonstrated that the payload was able to record DPOAEs on board the ISS with very low instrumental noise level, despite the high noise level of the ISS environment. ASI, in the frame of its national mission of promoting and fostering the culture of space across the Country, provides access to the ISS as a laboratory in space. The utilization support services are provided, thanks to a contract, awarded by ASI, to ARGOTEC/Telespazio (UTISS Team).