Overall, our mission went very smoothly for all involved. We got along great as a crew, but this wasn't just a matter of luck. Everyone made a special effort to be courteous, considerate, and helpful to each other whenever possible. Our commander, Jeff, also did a great job of fostering an atmosphere of openness among the crew. We had no reservations about expressing concerns, or discussing any problems that arose. Our topside teams from NASA and NURC did everything so well that the logistics were practically transparent to us. Finally our Habitat tech crewmates worked continuously to take care of the Aquarius systems, both inside and outside, which enabled the rest of us to concentrate on our mission objectives. We also had a logical and efficient division in our own responsibilities. I handled all of the computer related issues, Danny took care of all photographic equipment, and Jonathan was the habitability expert on several internal experiments related to noise levels and automated hearing tests. Danny and Jonathan took charge of our underwater construction project, and Jonathan and I worked together on some of the PR activities and organizing the coral science tasks (although this effort was shared by all). We also rotated through the role of EVA (dive) planning and briefing the rest of the crew. Jeff, of course, was the choreographer of everything, and I think we all did a pretty good job of getting our own work done, while following his direction and keeping him informed. Now that I think about it, our natural and assigned division of duties worked out so well, that I think it had much to do with the success of our mission. We did not step on each other's toes, and everyone seemed happy with their duties. It is a real testament to Jeff's leadership style that we were all able to feel ownership and enjoy the success of managing our respective responsibilities.

We are now about halfway through a 17 hour decompression process that is designed to safely clear the absorbed nitrogen from our body tissues. While we've been living at a depth of about 46 feet, from our perspective it could have been 300 feet and it wouldn't have made much difference. We came into this knowing that the surface was not an option (or at least a very very bad option). So we have been operating with the mindset that the hab and a few distant way-stations are our only refuge in an emergency. During our night dive we followed one excursion line to its end at 400 feet from Aquarius. We noted that we may as well be 400 feet down, or 400 feet into a cave, because the only distance that mattered was the 400 feet back to Aquarius along that line.

Our decompression ("DeCo") started with a strange scene. Six of us were lying down, stacked 3 and 3 in our bunkroom, with black hoses going everywhere. Danny, in a middle bunk, looked like he was preparing for suspended animation. We agreed to see each other in 80 years once we arrived at our interstellar destination! Actually, each of us had to breathe 100% oxygen for 60 minutes during the first part of our "ascent." In fact, though, we are going nowhere, but our hab techs (plus a new crewmember for the DeCo, Russ) are slowly venting air from Aquarius to the surface. As they do this, the habitat has to be completely sealed, since the outside pressure would otherwise force water inside. The current pressure at 12:30am is equivalent to a depth of about 14 feet. It will take us another 7 hours to reach surface pressure. At that point, we will be fully "desaturated," but we will still be sitting here on the bottom, and the water pressure on Aquarius will be enormous! At 2.5 atmospheres, (delta-P of 1.5 atm), I figure that there will be 3000 tons of pressure on the habitat structure (4x14 meter cylinder if you want to check my math). At that point, we all go for a "chamber dive" by increasing the pressure inside back to 2.5 atmospheres in just a few minutes. It is the equivalent of diving down here from a boat on the surface. Finally, we'll open the hatch, grab a bail-out bottle (mini-scuba tank and regulator) and our mask, and swim to the surface under the careful supervision of two NURC safety divers. It might sound a bit complicated, but it's a very straightforward and well tested approach for returning safely from saturation diving. And the best part is that we can feast on the Calazones Russ brought down for us, while replaying our underwater videos, and otherwise getting a good night's rest.

While the mission has gone quickly, it seems that a long time has past since we saw the Sun or had a breath of fresh air. Aquarius is a really cool place to live for a week, and I feel very lucky to have had this time here. As we reviewed our mission tonight, it was clear that all of us were amazed at the depth to which this experience parallels spaceflight. Many factors, such as living in a metal cylinder, the weightlessness outside, isolation and confinement, the extreme and unforgiving environment, computers, communications, equipment, PR events, separation from family, and the challenges of time management, teamwork, and accomplishing mission objectives, all make this a perfect analogue for spaceflight. Personally, I will leave Aquarius tomorrow with a real sense of what it will be like on my first mission on the Shuttle and Space Station. My first Real Mission, however, is done! It was a mission to "Inner Space," where we explored and discovered another world below. It is my hope that Aquarius, and the dedicated folks here, and around the world, who study our fragile oceans, can learn enough to preserve this wondrous place forever.