Monday, May 13, 2002

Key Largo, FL -- Aquarius' May mission builds on a developing partnership between NASA and NOAA and will feature three NASA astronauts and one astronaut training specialist. During the nine-day mission May 13-21, the project team will live underwater using Aquarius as a space analog for working and training under environmental and operational conditions that are surprisingly similar to many of the challenges faced in outer space.

Aquarius is an underwater laboratory where scientists live and work on the seafloor for extended periods using a special technique called saturation diving. The 12-foot by 43-foot sealab is located in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, 60 feet underwater, and 3.5 miles offshore. Owned by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and operated by the University of North Carolina at Wilmington (UNCW), Aquarius is the only undersea research platform of its kind.

"The innerspace station provides a remarkably similar environment to that of the International Space Station (ISS)," said Dr. Steven Miller, NURC/UNCW director. "Aquarius is similar in size to modules of the ISS and like NASA astronauts, the Aquarius aquanauts coordinate operations and conduct experiments with guidance from a distant mission control center. Also like astronauts, aquanauts remain isolated from the outside world for the duration of their mission because saturation diving techniques require a lengthy decompression before surfacing is allowed."

The isolation, surrounded by an extreme environment, is important for studies related to behavior and physiology. In particular, the NASA Aquarius experience will be used to help build crew and mission control communication techniques, and will provide leadership and interpersonal skills training to everyone involved.



Several different NASA departments are involved in the mission. They will monitor the progress of the astronaut crew from the Johnson Space Center in real-time. Underwater communications equipment and cameras will provide interactive capability between the aquanauts and NASA staff in Houston. A number of tasks performed inside Aquarius are designed to simulate similar functions to be performed in space. A goal of the mission is to use results of the mission to help NASA planners develop future training programs.



As with each Aquarius mission, the May effort will consist of two UNCW live-aboard operations specialists and four astronaut specialists from NASA’s Johnson Space Center: Crew Commander, Mike Fincke (Lt Col, USAF), astronauts Sunita “Suni” L. Williams (Lieutenant Commander, USN) and Dan Tani, and Station Training Lead, Marc Reagan. UNCW operations specialists include Thor Dunmire and Ryan Snow.

During the mission Aquarius will also undertake several educational and outreach projects including a one hour webcast at noon EDT, Wednesday, May 15 (http://quest.arc.nasa.gov/projects/space/aquarius/2002/index.html) and two 30-minute live video events at 11:45 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. EDT, Thursday, May 16, during which students at the Orlando Science Center and Liberty Science Center will interact with Aquarius aquanauts.

Throughout each Aquarius mission, expedition journals, photos and live undersea webcam views of the lab and surrounding area will be available, along with detailed information about Aquarius programs, including a student writing contest where the winning essayist will enjoy a VIP underwater tour of Aquarius (deadline May 31). For more information, visit the Aquarius web site at: http://www.uncwil.edu/nurc/aquarius .

Aquarius is part of NOAA's National Undersea Research Program (NURP), where researchers explore, sample and live beneath the sea to study a range of environmental problems and science, from beach erosion to deep sea volcanoes.

Contacts for additional information:

Dr. Steven Miller, NURC/UNCW, director (millers@uncwil.edu, 305-451-0233)

Mark Ward, NURC public affairs (markeward@aol.com, 407-254-0840)