NEEMO 18 crew

NEEMO 18 astronaut crew from left to right: Japanese commander Aki Hoshide NASA astronauts, Mark Vande Hei, Jeanette Epps, ESA astronauts Thomas Pesquet and Paolo Nespoli.

NEEMO – NASA Extreme Environment Mission Operations – trains astronauts for life in space. Living and working in an underwater base is similar to being on a space station. This year, NASA has two NEEMO missions planned with three ESA astronauts and a trainer taking part.

NEEMO’s underwater habitat off Florida acts as makeshift a space base for astronauts to make regular ‘waterwalks’ in full scuba gear. Both underwater missions plan sorties for the astronauts to simulate spacewalks. Different gravity levels will test tools that could be used when humans land on the Moon, Mars or even asteroids.