Portuguese submarine for space research

Submarines are emerging as a unique research platform to study human adaption to extreme environments – from ocean depths to outer space.

ESA, the Portuguese Space Agency and the Portuguese Navy are now using these vessels to recreate isolation and confinement challenges for space exploration.

Submarines replicate the isolation, confinement and operational challenges of space missions, making them ideal for studying how these conditions affect crew members and for developing strategies to help them cope.

The first crew of the SubSea project has started its immersion for a 60-day submarine mission. A scientific team from universities in Germany, Italy and Portugal is studying how stress, mood and crew dynamics evolve in cramped quarters, much like space missions.