Making Music in Space

Did you know that astronauts make music in space?

Photo of Russian Cosmonaut Anton Shkaplerov playing keyboard and NASA Astronaut Dan Burbank playing guitar together in the Unity Node of the ISS.

Here is a video of Astronaut Chris Hadfield singing Space Odyssey.

https://youtu.be/KaOC9danxNo

Here is a video of Hadfield singing the same song on Earth.

https://youtu.be/SCC5EOFiBvk

Notice how different his voice sounds?

Some of that may be attributed to the nerves of a live performance or differences with recording, but let's take this opportunity to think about what happens to the Astronaut's physiology as they encounter microgravity.

Fluid Shift

Fluid shift is a term used to describe the uncomfortable reality of blood flowing differently in microgravity. It ends up shifting quite a bit to the head, impacting everything from the pressure on the astronaut's brain and eyes, to the sound of their voice.

Want to learn more about the fluid shift in microgravity? Here's a short video from the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum. https://youtu.be/MTgLO0D9Gew

Sound Waves and Gravity

But how do acoustics in space work, anyway? Are sound waves impacted by microgravity?

Sound waves are made of particles called phonons. But a phonon doesn't have mass. Instead, it has negative mass. So, while sound waves are impacted by gravity, it isn't how you might expect. 

Here is an article from Scientific American that explains the interaction of sound and gravity.

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/sound-by-the-pound-surprising-discovery-hints-sonic-waves-carry-mass/

Sound and Occupational Health

Sound pollution is an important consideration for NASA's astronauts. In confined spaces, sounds can bounce around, echo, and become overwhelming. A little electric him that wouldn't bother you in an open office space could become a real nuisance in a confined spacecraft.

Here's a piece by NASA about the types of acoustic testing that are completed for crewed spaces.

https://www.nasa.gov/content/acoustics-and-noise-control-capability

I wonder if their musical instruments face the same amount of scrutiny as the electronics for other essential systems within the spacecraft.

Chris Hadfield has a really fascinating discussion on the topic of music in space here: https://fb.watch/oyc0eFddSk/?mibextid=Nif5oz

I highly recommend reading the comments. You'll see thoughtful responses from an astronaut!!