Living for several months in confined spaces involves the deprivation of natural stimuli which alters the circadian rhythms of sleep and wakefulness causing depression and stress. The effects of enforced isolation are amplified by the longing for home and also by the lack of privacy caused by sharing the same small space with other people.

Space Design has the task of restoring the psycho-physical balance of astronauts by balancing sensory stimuli through the use of colours, materials, surfaces, technologies, but also by integrating ergonomic and functional aspects with emotional ones.