Aided by a large crane, the crew lifts the exploration vehicle from the ocean floor. Credit: NASA

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Week of 05/31/2010
Analog missions allow NASA to research, develop
and test operational concepts and systems in
challenging Earth environments similar to those
that astronauts may face during missions to near
earth objects, the moon or Mars. NASA Extreme
Environment Mission Operations (NEEMO) Mission
Summary Space operations research is challenging
because concept testing and activities need to be
conducted in low-gravity conditions. The buoyancy
of an underwater environment, coupled with the
weight of diving equipment, produces an effective
analog for astronauts and engineers to test
operational concepts. Description The 14th NEEMO
mission took place at the National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administrations Aquarius undersea
laboratory. Sixty-two feet below the surface,
four aquanauts completed simulated extravehicular
activities (EVAs), including offloading payloads,
transferring equipment and retrieving a mock
injured crewmember. Above the surface, the
Topside Team analyzed systems for measuring crew
physiological health, including facial expression
recognition software and stress hormone
detection. Analog Time Frame The NEEMO 14
mission was conducted from May 10-24, 2010, and
included 22 EVAs. Significance The oceans
harsh, unpredictable environment allows
astronauts and engineers to conduct operations
research in convincing simulated conditions of
gravity, resulting in successful validation and
preparation for missions in space. More
information http//www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/NE
EMO/NEEMO14/index.html www.nasa.gov/exploration/an
alogs
Aided by a large crane, the crew lifts the
exploration vehicle from the ocean floor. Credit
NASA
The mock injured crewmember also wears a life
support pack. Credit NASA
The Topside Team and Aquarius crew talk every
morning and evening to discuss the day's
activities and plan for the next set of tasks.
Credit NASA
http//www.nasa.gov/exploration/multimedia/highlig
hts