Erie High senior Kayla Evans and Niwot High junior Katelin VonFeldt are looking to help NASA address isolation challenges for astronauts by combining virtual reality and sensory-based memory triggers with exercise.

They’re creating the project for NASA HUNCH, a program that engages high school and college students in real-world research and development for space missions.

Their team was among the 20 high school student teams that presented at NASA’s Human Research Program Investigators’ Workshop last month in Galveston, Texas. This was the first time high school students were invited to participate in the conference, which focuses on biomedical research related to spaceflight.

The students had the opportunity to showcase their work alongside professional researchers and engineers and receive feedback, as well as attend conference sessions.

“Getting different perspectives from so many different people was just super cool,” Evans said. “It was just such a good experience. It really inspired me. I have learned so much about space science and all the weird little niche things you need. I would love to continue to work with NASA or another space company.”

Their project was developed in the Innovation Center’s biosciences class under the mentorship of teacher Jayme Sneider, who is in her second year working with the HUNCH program. They also collaborated with CU Boulder Bioastronautics, the U.S. Space Force and NASA.“I want students to know their ideas and enthusiasm can make a difference,” Sneider said. “They can see that they’re making a direct impact. It’s an amazing opportunity.”

NASA HUNCH’s Biomedical Division works with NASA flight surgeons to identify pressing astronaut health needs and then invites high school and college students to contribute innovative solutions. Selected projects have the potential to influence future spaceflight technologies and are credited to their student creators.

Evans and VonFeldt said they wanted to tackle improving astronaut mental health while on long duration space missions.

“It’s very important and so under-researched,” Evans said. “We thought we could bring something to the table.”

To help astronauts feel more connected to home and reduce feelings of isolation, they created a system using 360-degree video in virtual reality to simulate familiar environments. The idea is astronauts could use the virtual reality videos, in combination with scent based cues, during their mandatory exercise sessions.

Their design includes lava stone pendants infused with familiar scents, such as perfumes or foods, to evoke memories and enhance emotional well-being. They said an astronaut could take a video of walk on the beach with a friend, then pair that with a sea breeze scent while using the program during an exercise session on the International Space Station.

“Exercise is already very good for your mental health,” VonFeldt said. “We want to make it more fun and give them a connection to back home. When you combine sight with smell, it’s a big game changer.”

For the HUNCH program, the students presented their project to NASA in October for an initial design review, then again on Monday for a final design review in Golden. After the final review, selected projects will be invited to a design showcase in April at Houston’s Johnson Space Center.

“I’m really proud of our design and how far we’ve come,” VonFeldt said.