The Most Common Medication on the Space Station is Sleeping Pills

The most frequently taken medication by astronauts on the International Space Station (ISS) is sleeping pills. This is because the light cycles experienced while orbiting do not align with human circadian rhythms. The body cannot determine when to sleep or wake, and this confusion persists for weeks to months, affecting performance, mood, and physical health.

SAGA Space Architects, an architecture and space studio based in Copenhagen, Denmark, views this not as a spacecraft problem but as a design flaw in living spaces. Founded by Sebastian Aristotelis and Karl-Johan Sørensen, the studio argues that for humans to actually live on the Moon, Mars, and in the deep sea, structures must first be adapted to human needs.

Three Extreme Environments: Moon, Mars, and Deep Sea

The Moon is the closest surface to Earth. NASA's Artemis program aims to establish a permanent human settlement on the Moon within this decade.

Mars represents a more distant future. It has a 24.6-hour day cycle, evidence of past water presence, and due to its distance from Earth, requires habitats that can sustain life for years without resupply during missions.

The deep sea is closer and already accessible, yet less than 0.01% has been directly explored. These three environments each possess resources and research potential, and in the case of Mars, raise questions about whether human civilization can exist beyond a single planet.

For SAGA Space Architects, all three locations present the same design challenge: people must live there, yet nothing has been designed for that purpose.

Lunar Habitats Tested in the Arctic, Mars Shelters Powered by Dust Storms

SAGA has designed lunar habitats tested in the Arctic, Mars shelter concepts powered by dust storms, underwater structures installed on the bottom of Copenhagen harbor, and training facilities for the European Space Agency (ESA).

When the studio begins these projects, the first consideration is the human body. The key is to design with human physical needs at the center when location and environment change. People living in confined spaces for months need natural light, privacy, and space for mental stability.

The History of Space Architecture: From Survival to Living

Early space exploration focused on survival. The Soviet Soyuz capsules and American Gemini spacecraft of the 1960s provided only enough space for people to 'sit.' With the emergence of Skylab in the 1970s, spacious interiors appeared for the first time, and the International Space Station, constructed from 1998, introduced a modular structure capable of long-term habitation.

However, even the ISS has not fully resolved astronauts' circadian rhythm issues. In an orbital environment experiencing sunrise and sunset every 90 minutes, artificial lighting alone has proven insufficient.

With the rise of private space companies like SpaceX and Blue Origin in the 2010s, discussions about long-term habitation began in earnest. In the 2020s, NASA's Artemis program and China's lunar base plans are shifting space architecture from the realm of 'temporary stay' to 'permanent settlement.'

Future Outlook [AI Analysis]

SAGA Space Architects' approach demonstrates that space architecture is not simply a technical problem but one of human-centered design. As the likelihood of actual lunar habitat construction within the next decade increases, designs considering circadian rhythm maintenance, psychological stability, and long-term health are expected to become essential elements.

Mars habitation is a more distant future, but technologies currently under development can also be utilized in Earth's extreme environments—deep sea, polar regions, and high-altitude areas. Particularly, deep-sea habitation structures have higher accessibility than space and may be commercialized more quickly as research stations, marine resource extraction facilities, and climate change response installations.

Ultimately, this research on extreme environment habitats asks both whether humanity can live beyond Earth and whether we can design life on Earth in better ways.