NASA experts are studying tools and techniques for future off-Earth exploration - but underwater. Credit: NASA
Astronauts are taking a “bottom’s up” approach to a future space target – an asteroid.
To get a better handle on how best to reconnoiter a space rock, NASA scientists and technicians are engaged in planning the 15th expedition of NASA Extreme Environment Mission Operations, or NEEMO for short.
The NEEMO expedition is to be held in October.
But in order to prepare for a simulated encounter with an asteroid, the site of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Aquarius Underwater Laboratory near Key Largo, Florida is being used.
Those engineering tests are being conducted May 9-13.
Aquarius is located at Conch Reef, four miles offshore in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary.
Little, if any, gravity
“Even experts don’t know what the surface of an asteroid is going to be like,” said NEEMO Project Manager Bill Todd. “There may be asteroids that we don’t even know about yet that we’ll be visiting. So we’re figuring out the best way to do that.”
NEEMO 15 will investigate three aspects of a mission to an asteroid:
- how to anchor to the surface;
- how to move around; and
- how best to collect data.
Unlike the moon or Mars, an asteroid would have little, if any, gravity to hold astronauts or vehicles, so an anchor would be necessary.
NEEMO 15 will evaluate different anchoring methods and how to connect the multiple anchors to form pathways.
For example, in the underwater analog, aquanauts and engineers will study whether it’s more efficient to join the anchors in a straight line or set them up similar to the spokes of a wagon wheel.
For more information on NASA’ NEEMO effort, visit:
By Leonard David
