Aquarius

Journal 2- Jeff Williams: Mission Day 0: Saturday, July 13, 2002

Training week for "Aquanaut Candidates" is complete and the NEEMO 3 crew now has the weekend for final preparations for the mission as well as a welcome rest. From 8 to 12 July, we received many briefings and completed nine dives off the "R/V Delta" (one of NURC/UNCW's fleet of dive boats) at Conch Reef, about 45 minutes offshore from Key Largo in the area of the Aquarius underwater habitat under the supervision of NURC trainers Mark Hulsbeck and Paul Masaki. We've experienced thunderstorms, squalls, moderately rough seas, and a lot of rain, but we powered right through it all. The weather finally broke on Friday when we enjoyed sunshine and calm waters. During the week, Mark and Paul put us through the paces in a very challenging series of dives designed to prepare Aquanauts for a saturation mission. They have a very impressive training program and I have developed an utmost respect and admiration for the folks here at NURC. Like the folks at NASA, they are dedicated to safety and attention to detail in conducting human exploration. I've found that, in that respect, we have a lot in common.

Equally dedicated have been Karl Shreeves from PADI (Professional Association of Diving Instructors) and the NASA surface support team led by Bill Todd. PADI has provided newly developed dive masks that have voice communications included. Our task is to evaluate the mask design features, performance, and utility. Karl brings an incredible background of diving experience and has done a great job of getting us comfortable with the new equipment, as well as developing our overall proficiency in the water. One of my biggest impressions this week has been the amount of work and overhead that exists to pull off the NEEMO program. Bill and his team do a fantastic job of coordinating and facilitating all of the details and are really the unsung heroes in this important inter-agency operation.

I am really pleased with the crew. Danny, Greg, and Jonathan have exceeded my expectations in teamwork and proficiency. We have had a great time in training and mission preparation. Each has their respective areas of responsibility for the mission and everybody really has their act together. Moral and confidence levels are high. We've also gotten to know the NURC habitat technicians who will round out the crew, Mike Smith and Byron Croker. They are also very dedicated professionals who bring a lot of experience to the table. I am very pleased to have them on the crew and anticipate learning a lot from Mike and Byron.

Finally, on a more personal note here are some miscellaneous impressions from the week...

-After all of the lost mask drills, I don't want to lose my mask...the eyes sting and you can't see worth a hoot.

-After all of the buddy breathing drills, I don't want to run out of air...I no longer take the ability to breathe for granted.

-The amount and variety of life in the coral reef is incredible; from the variety of small fish, to barracuda, nurse sharks, rays, moray eels, and sea turtles, as well as the many corals and sponges ...can't wait to have time to study it.

-Working with tools, line reels, and the like in the ocean is like conducting a space walk...you have to work slowly and carefully in order to go fast.

-The analogs to space flight and space exploration appear to be many...I won't detail them now but will document a few of them during the mission.

I'm out of time...back to mission review and studying. Bottom line-training week can be declared a success, and we are ready to begin the mission and become "Aquanauts!"