Table of Contents

NEEMO 14 Mission Objectives

Extravehicular Activities

One of the biggest challenges in astronaut training is learning how to perform tasks in low gravity environments. Buoyancy, which is the ability of an object to float in liquid, such as water, is the reason that aquanauts are able to simulate low gravity. Normally, the crew members would be positively buoyant, meaning that they would float in the water. However, by wearing diving equipment and weighted backpacks, aquanauts are able to work on the ocean floor with only minimal positive buoyancy. This way, NEEMO missions can include practicing extravehicular activities (EVA) and imitate "spacewalks" to test concepts for mobility in low gravity.

The NEEMO 14 mission provided crew members with multiple opportunities to simulate interaction with future exploration vehicles. The vehicles used on these dives were similar to the actual size of landers and rovers being developed by NASA. As aquanauts interacted with these developing technologies, they were able to provide information and feedback to NASA engineers.

Rover Testing

• Practice off-loading a rover from a lander
• Testing different hatch opening sizes
• Evaluate suit ports on rover
• Test the mechanics developed for transferring an incapacitated crewman
• Evaluate the overall mock-up design, in terms of equipment, crew support, and effects of the environment

Lander Testing

• Test ladder angles, positioning and size, for exiting and entering a lander
• Evaluate fall protection systems and safety rails
• Simulate the delivery of a small payload
• Run through uploading of incapacitated crew
• Analog mock-up davit crane testing
• Test overall aspects of mock-up design

Exploration Traverse

• Perform exploration to various underwater sites
• Test workability of Mission Control Center support

Education and Public Outreach

• Engage students, educators, and the general public in NEEMO activities via social media, interactive education events, and media interaction

Crewmember Health

Crewmember health is of utmost importance when planning for space exploration, especially for long duration missions. Since the first NEEMO mission, a key focus for every aquanaut crew has been physiological and psychological health. Studies have included how their environment affects sleep and the body's immune system, growth of bacteria within the habitat, nutrition, and exercise-related studies.

In addition, coping with medical emergencies without a hospital or trained doctor can be a difficult and dangerous task. Aboard the space station and during long duration missions in the future, crew member health and mission success may depend on the crew's ability to deal with emergencies without the help of a doctor. Because of its physical and psychological isolation on the floor of the Atlantic Ocean, Aquarius provides the most accurate stresses needed to validate new telemedicine in an extreme environment.