Col(ret) John Allen, Ph.D. and COL(ret) Richard Danielson, Ph.D
The negative impact of noise on military missions has produced well-designed hearing conservation programs and noise control standards in materiel development within the Department of Defense. Similarly, the National Aeronautics and Space Agency (NASA) has developed programs and policies for hearing loss prevention and noise control engineering for employees working in noise-hazardous jobs at its twelve centers. However, NASA also has a unique concern for the impact of noise on space missions conducted by members of its astronaut corps. Long-duration flights present challenges in determining damage risk criteria, methodology for conducting periodic audiometric testing (some of which is conducted aboard the International Space Station) and strategies for reducing the impact of noise on habitability. This discussion will describe unique concerns about noise in space operations, NASA’s efforts for monitoring and mitigating audibility and acoustics onboard space vehicles and practices in aerospace-based audiology that could be applied to conventional practices.