We
have
gone
to
space
with
our
most
advanced
Circadian
Light
to
date

Sleep is one of the major issues facing astronauts in space. Soon, SAGA’s Circadian Light will be tested onboard the International Space Station to assess whether the device can improve the sleep of the astronauts living on the space station.

LAUNCH SUCCESS

Andreas Mogensen, danish ESA astronaut in his Crew Quarters with Circadian Light.

Three light faces

The lamp has three faces that emit light at different angles each. Each of these faces emits different wavelengths to promote alertness or induce sleepiness. Unlike current light systems onboard the ISS which have some manually operated kelvin and brightness controls, SAGA’s light panel is programmed to automatically adjust the light accordingly to fit the astronaut’s planned sleep schedule.

Through the meticulous use of different hues of color to simulate intense sunrises, varied daylight, and calming sunsets, the Circadian Light can carefully regulate the astronauts’ circadian rhythms to ensure that they focus during the day and sleep during the night. Compensating for the monotonous environment of space, the lighting system emits custom light for each individual day to simulate the natural change in lighting of shifting weather on Earth.

Circadian Rhythm explained

You need light to be healthy.

We evolved on Earth with natural sunlight and our bodies rely on it to keep time. The right amount of light in the morning wakes us up. The lack of light in the afternoon and evening makes us sleepy. Furthermore, different kinds of light have different influences on us. Cold, blue light stimulates alertness while warm, red light is better suited for getting sleepy at the end of a long day.

The problem is, the way we live now has completely changed. Modern people spend more than 90% of their time indoors, where artificial light is typically 50-1000 times weaker than sunlight and natural light cannot easily help regulate our sleep. And we blast ourselves with artificial late into the evening hours when the sun has already departed. This is hugely disruptive to our sleep which in turn leads to being more grumpy, distracted, less focused, less alert, and even at higher risk of diseases, sickness, and a shorter lifespan.

Our Design Journey

LUNARK (2020)

Our first experiment with circadian lighting was in our analog habitat, LUNARK. We tested it on ourselves and realized its potential.

Rosenberg Habitat (2022)

Having continued our work on the lighting system and the software and technology behind it, we tested it in our next analog habitat.

Today (2023)

Today, we have combined all our learnings with industry and expert input, to design the culmination of our work: the Circadian Light for ISS.

A Carefully Engineered Spectrum

Trying to emulate sunlight is no simple task. Sunlight is a dynamic, ever-changing source of light that shifts in intensity and spectrum throughout the day. As with our former projects, teamed up with our long-term partner, YUJI, who makes exceptional LEDs both for circadian lighting and high quality color rendering.

Wavelength

Time

Intensity