Space Preparation and the Undersea Crew: NEEMO

by | Jun 30, 2015 | Technology Featured

The NASA Extreme Environment Mission Operations program, abbreviated “NEEMO” is preparing viable operators for intensive underwater projects. Taking place in both July and September, each ongoing project will engage NASA’s own projects 18 and 19. The program’s “aquanauts” will experience the NEEMO project’s dynamic exploration activities, all while researching future aerospace possibilities.

The Project

NEEMO empowers engineers, astronauts and scientists with underwater habitats. Each participant will spend up to three weeks in the depths, and crew members will reside within NASA’s unique research habitat. Each study delivers information capable of revealing vital reef information, and all findings are returned to the world’s singular underwater research center, the Florida International University Aquarius Reef Base.

Studies are directed towards procuring information for future astronauts. The underwater environment is similar to zero-gravity space environments, making the center a viable location for critical task practice. Constraining factors are the research base’s prime benefits, as trainees will engage common space operations in the undersea environment.

The Undersea World

Each NEEMO mission is defined by constrained habitats, isolation, harsh environments and teamwork. As stated above, each environment simulates in-space locations, where gravity challenges exist everywhere. Aquanauts are expected to perform many operations despite limiting, even dangerous, circumstances confined to NASA’s research center.

NASA participants will use a technique called saturation diving to conduct week-long activities. After 24 hours, underwater participants face “saturation” with dissolved gas. Saturation diving allows divers to predict the time needed to decompress before returning to above-ground locations. Saturation limits overall chance of decompression sickness throughout conducted studies, and the Aquarius habitat provides easy access to ocean floor depths.

Future Development

NASA’s developed systems and technologies have helped both industrial and research providers like Spray Systems and Aerovar with future solutions. Spray paint booths, aerospace engineering and even small parts providers are benefited, and NEEMO’s research will likely create new needs throughout the entire aerospace industry.

Transporting future explorers, even pilots, to multiple destinations requires time and security. NASA’s NEEMO program provides a healthy test environment capable of creating safety progression. Future destinations may be extreme: the moon, asteroids and Mars all host dangerous environments, and mission preparation is complex.

Such complex missions are benefited by Earth-based environmental planning, where technologies can be tested, planned and even created. Earth’s future direction requires exploration, and NEEMO intends to enrich future destinations with at-home locations.

Human Habitability

While scientific development and operational testing are at NEEMO’s forefront, the human potential remains a vital component. NEEMO’s nine-day missions focus upon bodily performance and behavioral health. Human habitability will become one of the industry’s newest concerns, as modern aerospace creations will focus on privatized space travel.

NEEMO missions create adequate environments for space walking techniques, immersing aquanaut’s with the program’s planning and practice programs. Working in underground environments requires similar procedures to space-bound projects, and sophisticated equipment has been supplied to emulate NASA mission equipment. Additionally, complex “weight studies” will be conducted to create, simulate and research different gravity environments. NEEMO, itself, is much more than a training facility. It’s a space simulator.

Water-Bound Missions

NASA understands the difficulties associated with both space and undersea missions. Spaceflight preparation is a priority, and NEEMO’s missions 18 and 19 will hone in on high-fidelity space operation scenarios. In context, NEEMO’s environments reveal space’s possibilities while exploring potential goals. Mission destinations are considerably distant from one another, implementing communication delay simulations. The site’s ESA-sponsored hardware will assist team members with interpreting needed procedures. Smartphone, tablet and head-monitored interfaces are included.

NEEMO underwater project leader Bill Todd intends to reach huge milestones within 20 missions, reflecting upon NEEMO’s success within the previous 15 years. Todd currently works closely with Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency’s astronaut Akihiko Hoshide to command NEEMO’s project 18. Also present are several other NASA professionals, including astronaut Mark Vande Hei and Jeanette Epps. The European Agency has also supported NASA’s NEEMO project with astronaut Thomas Pesquet.

 

 

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