NASA astronauts head to the ocean floor for 16 days to prepare for Mars

A team of astronauts, engineers and scientists will take residence at the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean for 16 days to prepare for future Mars missions. Why the ocean? Well, Mars and the bottom of the sea share similar characteristics in terms of extreme environments.

During the mission, the isolated crew members of the NASA Extreme Environment Mission Operations (NEEMO) 21 expedition, will test tools and techniques that are in the works for future space missions by living in simulated spacecraft conditions and conducting spacewalks outside of their underwater home.

The vessel, named Aquarius, will allow the crew to run a series of tests, including a mini DNA sequencer (the same kind that NASA astronaut Kate Rubins will be testing aboard the International Space Station) and a telemedicine device.

During simulated spacewalks, the crew will also help out the marine biology and geology field by collecting samples, testing software for managing operations, and participating in a coral restoration project. During the course of these tasks, the mission will test communications delays similar to the ones that would be encountered on a mission to Mars.

“NEEMO 21 astronauts and crew will pioneer complex tasks on the seafloor utilizing the most advanced underwater navigation and science tools which are methodically choreographed to mimic a Mars exploration traverse,” said Bill Todd, NEEMO Project Lead. “Equipment can fail, communication can be challenging and tasks can take longer than expected. Other tasks go just as planned. All cases are equally beneficial. It’s how we learn and how we are able to assemble all of this together so that someday we’re prepared for the unexpected when we are living on and traversing the Martian surface.”

The NEEMO crew and two professional habitat technicians will reside 60 feet below the surface of the Atlantic Ocean in Florida International University’s Aquarius Reef Base undersea research habitat 6.2 miles off the coast of Key Largo, Florida.