ESA astronaut trainer Hervé Stevenin at NEEMO base

ESA astronaut trainer Hervé Stevenin on a first dive to the Neemo underwater base.

Neemo missions train astronauts for life in space. Living and working in an underwater base is similar to space stations. During a 10-day mission ESA astronaut Tim Peake and six crewmates will live in cramped conditions, perform ‘waterwalks’ and will have to solve problems as a team.

The underwater base is almost 20 m under the sea off the coast of Florida.