Hearts in Orbit is a youth-led research initiative that explores how music can support mental and emotional well-being in extreme environments, such as space missions, and in vulnerable communities on Earth. Our goal is to design music-based tools that improve focus, reduce stress, and enhance mood for astronauts, seniors, children in hospitals, and more. It is also a community service project.
The project is led by high school and undergraduate students who are passionate about music, neuroscience, psychology, APP development, and space science. Our team is guided by mentors and advisors from diverse professional backgrounds, including academia, aerospace, healthcare, and technology.
Our mission is to combine science, creativity, and compassion to create evidence-based, accessible mental wellness tools. These tools will be tested in simulated space environments and adapted for real-world use in schools, hospitals, and care centers.
4. What problem does Hearts in Orbit aim to solve?
Hearts in Orbit addresses the global need for accessible, scalable, and non-pharmacological mental health solutions in high-stress or underserved environments. These include:
Emotional isolation and cognitive fatigue faced by astronauts on long-duration missions
Loneliness, memory decline, and stress among seniors and hospitalized children
Lack of affordable mental wellness tools in low-resource communities
Astronauts experiencing isolation and disrupted sleep cycles
Seniors facing cognitive decline or loneliness
Children undergoing stressful medical treatment
People in under-resourced areas with limited access to mental health care
We use wearable sensors, surveys, and cognitive tests to measure the effects of curated music in environments like Mars analog missions, senior centers, and hospitals. We track mood, focus, sleep, and physiological stress markers before, during, and after music exposure.
Books for informative purposes
A mobile app for therapeutic music use in space and clinical care
An interactive music box for seniors and children
A culturally responsive playlist toolkit for emotional regulation
While not officially affiliated, we are aligning our research with priorities in space psychology and human performance, and plan to share findings with organizations such as NASA, ESA, and university research labs.
Yes. All active participants can earn certified community service or volunteer hours. We also offer recommendation letters and leadership opportunities based on performance.
We meet entirely online via Zoom or Google Meet, making participation accessible regardless of your location. Collaboration is flexible and designed to fit around school and extracurricular schedules. We also have local activities for people who can participate in person.
On average, members spend 2–4 hours per week on project activities. Roles involving leadership, software, or research may require more time and offer deeper engagement.
Members have the chance to lead teams, manage timelines, speak at events, contribute to real research, and collaborate with professionals. These experiences support growth in communication, problem-solving, and initiative—key leadership traits.
Hearts in Orbit currently has several core teams, including:
Project Coordinators
Help manage tasks, deadlines, and meetings.
App Developers
Code the app (ideal for students in computer science or app dev clubs).
Music Curators
Choose/playlist soothing or therapeutic music. Could be music majors or enthusiasts.
Designers
Create visuals for the app, flyers, music boxes, etc.
Outreach & Fundraising Team
Plan and run events, contact related parties, write grant/funding pitches.
Mental Health Advocates
Help design content that is sensitive, supportive, and evidence-based. Ideal for students interested in music, psychology, education, or health.
Research Team
Do research on how the brain works; how music impacts people in an isolated environment, and more related to Neuroscience, Music therapy, Psychology, and so on.
Each team operates semi-independently but follows a shared project timeline. Weekly coordination meetings bring all teams together to align progress, identify needs, and plan next steps. Here's an example workflow functions, but not limited to these:
Research Team works closely with the App and Music teams to translate scientific findings into actionable features or playlist criteria.
App Development Team integrates feedback from the Research and Design teams to prototype and test tools.
Music Curation Team consults psychological data to create targeted playlists and submits their selections for testing and feedback.
Design Team creates branding, UI/UX layouts, and visual content to support both the app and outreach materials.
Outreach & Fundraising Team promotes project progress, builds partnerships, and manages communication efforts across platforms.
Shared tools like Google Drive, Slack/Discord, and Notion are used for documentation, real-time collaboration, and task management.
Each team works collaboratively to achieve project milestones.
We welcome:
Volunteers for outreach, design, research, or app development
Mentors or advisors in music therapy, neuroscience, or space science
Donors or partners interested in funding innovation at the intersection of music and mental health
May 2025
Team building and onboarding
June – November 2025
Research design, playlist curation, prototype planning, book publishing
November 2025 – May 2026
Field testing, data collection, app/music box development
June 2026 and onward
Data analysis, publishing, and final implementation