NEEMO

External view of Aquarius

NEEMO, an acronym for NASA Extreme Environment Mission Operations, is a NASA program for studying human survival in the Aquarius underwater laboratory in preparation for future space exploration.^[1]

Aquarius, an underwater habitat located near Key Largo, Florida, is owned by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and operated by the National Undersea Research Center (NURC) at the University of North Carolina–Wilmington as a marine biology study base. Located roughly 62 feet underwater,^[2] NASA has used it since 2001 for a series of missions, usually lasting 10 to 14 days, with research conducted by astronauts and other NASA employees. The crew members are called aquanauts instead of "divers", and they perform EVAs in the underwater environment.^[1] Groups of NASA employees and contractors live in Aquarius for up to three weeks at a time. For NASA, Aquarius provides an environment similar to space living, and NEEMO crew members experience some of the same tasks and challenges underwater as they would in space.^[1]

Floorplan of Aquarius.

Missions

NEEMO 1: October 21-27, 2001

The first NEEMO crew, L-R: in front, Mike López-Alegría and Bill Todd, in back, Mike Gernhardt and Dave Williams.

NASA Aquanaut Crew:

• Bill Todd, Commander^[1]
• Michael Gernhardt
• Michael López-Alegría
• Dafydd Williams, CSA

NURC Support Crew:

• Mark Hulsbeck
• Ryan Snow

NEEMO 2: May 13-20, 2002

NASA Aquanaut Crew:

• Michael Fincke, Commander^[1][3]
• Daniel M. Tani
• Sunita Williams
• Marc Reagan

NURC Support Crew:

• Thor Dunmire
• Ryan Snow

NEEMO 3: July 15-21, 2002

NASA Aquanaut Crew:

• Jeffrey Williams, Commander^[1][4]
• Gregory Chamitoff
• John D. Olivas
• Jonathan Dory

NURC Support Crew:

• Byron Croker
• Michael Smith

NEEMO 4: September 23-27, 2002

NASA Aquanaut Crew:

• Scott Kelly, Commander^[1][5][6][7]
• Paul Hill
• Rex Walheim
• Jessica Meir

NURC Support Crew:

• James Talacek
• Ryan Snow

NEEMO 5 crew members are pictured in the bunkroom aboard the Aquarius research habitat. Top, L-R: Reisman, Hwang; Middle: Whitson, Anderson; Bottom: Talacek, Snow.

NEEMO 5: June 16-29, 2003

NASA Aquanaut Crew:

• Peggy Whitson, Commander^[1][8][9]
• Clayton Anderson
• Garrett Reisman
• Emma Hwang

NURC Support Crew:

• James Talacek
• Ryan Snow

NEEMO 6: July 12-21, 2003

NASA Aquanaut Crew:

• John Herrington, Commander^[10][11]
• Nicholas Patrick
• Douglas H. Wheelock
• Tara Ruttley

NURC Support Crew:

• Craig Cooper
• Joseph March

• Marc Reagan, Mission Director

NEEMO 7: October 11-21, 2004

NASA Aquanaut Crew:

• Robert Thirsk, Commander^[12][13][14]
• Catherine Coleman
• Michael R. Barratt
• Craig McKinley

NURC Support Crew:

• James Talacek
• Billy Cooksey

• Bill Todd, Mission Director

NEEMO 8: April 20-22, 2005

NASA Aquanaut Crew:

• Michael Gernhardt, Commander^[15][16]
• John D. Olivas
• Scott Kelly
• Monika Schultz

NURC Support Crew:

• Craig Cooper
• Joseph March

• Bill Todd, Mission Director

NEEMO 9: April 3-20, 2006

The NEEMO 9 Crew: Left to right (rear): Broderick, Williams; front: Stott, Garan.

NASA Aquanaut Crew:

• Dafydd Williams, Commander^[17][18]
• Nicole P. Stott
• Ronald J. Garan, Jr.
• Timothy J. Broderick, M.D.

NURC Support Crew:

• Jim Buckley
• Ross Hein

• Marc Reagan, Mission Director

NEEMO 10: July 22-28, 2006

NASA Aquanaut Crew:

• Koichi Wakata, Commander^[19][20]
• Andrew Feustel
• Karen L. Nyberg
• Karen Kohanowich

NURC Support Crew:

• Mark Hulsbeck
• Dominic Landucci

• Marc Reagan, Mission Director

NEEMO 11: September 16-22, 2006

NASA Aquanaut Crew:

• Sandra Magnus, Commander^[21][22]
• Timothy Kopra
• Robert L. Behnken
• Timothy Creamer

NURC Support Crew:

• Larry Ward
• Roger Garcia

• Marc Reagan, Mission Director

NEEMO 12: May 7-18, 2007

NEEMO 12 aquanaut Broderick works with a remotely operated vehicle (ROV), called Scuttle.

NASA Aquanaut Crew:

• Heidemarie Stefanyshyn-Piper, Commander^[23][24]
• José M. Hernández
• Josef Schmid, M.D.
• Timothy J. Broderick, M.D.

NURC Support Crew:

• Dominic Landucci
• James Talacek

• Marc Reagan, Mission Director

NEEMO 13: August 6-15, 2007

NASA Aquanaut Crew:

• Nicholas Patrick, Commander^[25][26]
• Richard R. Arnold
• Satoshi Furukawa
• Christopher E. Gerty

NURC Support Crew:

• Jim Buckley
• Larry Ward

• Marc Reagan, Mission Director

NEEMO 14: May 10-23, 2010

NASA Aquanaut Crew:

• Chris Hadfield, Commander^[27][28][29]
• Thomas H. Marshburn
• Andrew Abercromby
• Steve Chappell

Aquarius Reef Base support crew:

• James Talacek
• Nate Bender

• Bill Todd, Mission Director

NEEMO 15: October 20-26, 2011

NASA Aquanaut Crew:

• Shannon Walker, Commander^[30][31]
• Takuya Onishi
• David Saint-Jacques
• Steve Squyres

Aquarius Reef Base support crew:

• James Talacek
• Nate Bender

In DeepWorker submersible:

• Stanley G. Love^[30]
• Richard R. Arnold
• Michael L. Gernhardt

References

1. ^ ^{a b c d e f g h} NASA (March 21, 2006). "NEEMO History". National Aeronautics and Space Administration. http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/NEEMO/history.html. Retrieved November 9, 2011. 
2. ^ "Deep Sea News". Deep Sea News. http://scienceblogs.com/deepseanews/2007/07/neemo_just_got_a_lot_cooler.php. Retrieved March 03, 2011. 
3. ^ NASA (June 2011). "Astronaut Bio: Edward Michael "Mike" Fincke (06/2011)". NASA. http://www.jsc.nasa.gov/Bios/htmlbios/fincke.html. Retrieved September 22, 2011. 
4. ^ NASA (April 21, 2011). "Life Sciences Data Archive : Experiment". NASA. http://lsda.jsc.nasa.gov/scripts/mission/miss.cfm?mis_index=212. Retrieved November 9, 2011. 
5. ^ Walheim, Rex (September 24, 2002). "NEEMO 4 Journals". NASA. http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/shuttle/support/training/neemo/journals/4walheim2.html. Retrieved September 22, 2011. 
6. ^ NOAA (May 17, 2010). "NEEMO 4 Journals". NOAA. http://aquarius.uncw.edu/archive/2002/09_2002/journals.html. Retrieved September 23, 2011. 
7. ^ NASA (April 21, 2011). "Life Sciences Data Archive : Experiment". NASA. http://lsda.jsc.nasa.gov/scripts/mission/miss.cfm?mis_index=213. Retrieved November 16, 2011. 
8. ^ NASA (2003). "NEEMO 5". NASA. http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/shuttle/support/training/neemo/neemo5/. Retrieved September 22, 2011. 
9. ^ Whitson, Peggy (June 19, 2003). "NEEMO 5 Journals". NASA. http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/shuttle/support/training/neemo/journals/neemo5/5whitson4.html. Retrieved September 22, 2011. 
10. ^ NASA (August 3, 2004). "NEEMO 6". NASA. http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/shuttle/support/training/neemo/neemo6/. Retrieved October 27, 2011. 
11. ^ NASA (April 21, 2011). "Life Sciences Data Archive : Experiment". NASA. http://lsda.jsc.nasa.gov/scripts/mission/miss.cfm?mis_index=220&string=NEEMO%206&CURRENT_STRING2=NEEMO%206. Retrieved September 28, 2011. 
12. ^ NASA (October 13, 2004). "NEEMO 7". NASA. http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/shuttle/support/training/neemo/neemo7/. Retrieved September 23, 2011. 
13. ^ Canadian Space Agency (August 9, 2004). "CSA - Neemo 7 Mission". Canadian Space Agency. http://www.asc-csa.gc.ca/eng/missions/neemo7/backgrounder_0809.asp. Retrieved September 23, 2011. 
14. ^ NASA (April 21, 2011). "Life Sciences Data Archive : Experiment". NASA. http://lsda.jsc.nasa.gov/scripts/mission/miss.cfm?mis_index=243&string=NEEMO%207&CURRENT_STRING2=NEEMO%207. Retrieved September 28, 2011. 
15. ^ NOAA (May 18, 2010). "NEEMO 8". University of North Carolina Wilmington. http://aquarius.uncw.edu/archive/2005/04_2005/prof.htm. Retrieved November 8, 2011. 
16. ^ NASA (April 21, 2011). "Life Sciences Data Archive : Experiment". NASA. http://lsda.jsc.nasa.gov/scripts/mission/miss.cfm?mis_index=244. Retrieved September 22, 2011. 
17. ^ NASA (2006). "NASA's Undersea Crew is Heads Above Water". NASA. http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/NEEMO/NEEMO9/index.html. Retrieved September 23, 2011. 
18. ^ NASA (April 3, 2006). "NASA's NEEMO 9 Aquanaut Human Performance Study Begins". NASA. http://human-factors.arc.nasa.gov/awards_pubs/news_view.php?news_id=34. Retrieved November 8, 2011. 
19. ^ NASA (2006). "NASA Uses Undersea Lab to Prep for Future Space Exploration". NASA. http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/NEEMO/NEEMO10/index.html. Retrieved September 23, 2011. 
20. ^ NASA (July 22, 2006). "NASA - NEEMO 10 Mission Journal". NASA. http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/NEEMO/NEEMO10/mission_journal_1.html. Retrieved November 8, 2011. 
21. ^ NASA (May 11, 2010). "NEEMO 11". NASA. http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/NEEMO/NEEMO11/index.html. Retrieved September 26, 2011. 
22. ^ NASA (September 1, 2006). "NASA Continues Space Exploration Research With Undersea Lab". NASA. http://www.nasa.gov/home/hqnews/2006/sep/HQ_06309_NEEMO_11.html. Retrieved November 8, 2011. 
23. ^ NASA (May 17, 2007). "NEEMO 12". NASA. http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/NEEMO/NEEMO12/index.html. Retrieved September 26, 2011. 
24. ^ NEEMO 12 Topside Team (May 6, 2007). "NASA - NEEMO 12 Topside Journal". NASA. http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/NEEMO/NEEMO12/topside_journal_1.html. Retrieved November 8, 2011. 
25. ^ NASA (July 24, 2007). "NASA Announces Next Undersea Exploration Mission Dates and Crew". NASA. http://www.nasa.gov/home/hqnews/2007/jul/HQ_07164_NEEMO_13.html. Retrieved November 8, 2011. 
26. ^ Topside Team (August 8, 2007). "NEEMO 13 Topside Report - Training Week". NURC. http://www.nurc.net/blog/neemo-13/neemo-13-topside-report-training-week. Retrieved November 8, 2011. 
27. ^ NASA (July 9, 2010). "NASA - NEEMO 14". NASA. http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/NEEMO/NEEMO14/index.html. Retrieved November 8, 2011. 
28. ^ Alexander, Aaron (2010). "Archive for the 'NEEMO 14' Mission". NURC. http://www.nurc.net/blog/category/neemo-14. Retrieved November 8, 2011. 
29. ^ NASA (May 7, 2010). "NASA - NEEMO 14 Topside Report No. 1, May 7, 2010". NASA. http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/NEEMO/NEEMO14/topside_01.html. Retrieved November 8, 2011. 
30. ^ ^{a b} NASA (September 19, 2011). "NASA - NASA Announces 15th Undersea Exploration Mission Date And Crew". NASA. http://www.nasa.gov/home/hqnews/2011/sep/HQ_11-309_NEEMO.html. Retrieved September 22, 2011. 
31. ^ NASA (October 27, 2011). "NASA - NEEMO 15 Topside Reports". NASA. http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/NEEMO/NEEMO15/topside-reports.html. Retrieved October 27, 2011. 

External links

• NEEMO missions
• Aquarius
• Virtual tour of Aquarius - requires Flash
• Live webcams (subject to mission availability)
• Behind the Scenes: NEEMO
• Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary

Coordinates: 24°57′00″N 80°27′13″W / 24.95°N 80.45361°W / 24.95; -80.45361