Detection of Astronauts’ Speech and Language Disorder Signs during Space Missions using Natural Language Processing Techniques

As technology evolves at an alert pace, the desire and need for exploration of the outer space becomes more and more prevalent. Human exploration and colonization of the Moon or Mars represents a strategic goal of international space agencies for the coming years. This implies a long-term exposure of astronauts in an extreme environment characterized by microgravity, isolation, confinement and other stressors which cause damage to both their bodies and minds. The longer the exposure to space environment, the greater the chance for an astronaut to face psychological problems. In, this regard, the herein paper is interdisciplinary orienting towards speech and language disorder analysis, especially on oral language disorders, for shaping a tool of behavioral psychology. Considering the well-known connection between speech and language disorders with interpersonal and intrapersonal psychological problems, this paper presents specific semantic assessments based on natural language processing techniques in order to gain understanding and shape a speech and language tool able to detect psychological impairments, especially for astronauts, but not merely.