How does training for NEEMO and Aquarius differ from other types of training at Johnson Space Center?
The training from NEEMO is in fact quite similar to the training we get for spaceflight at JSC. The main similarities are concerned with the safety aspect of the training. We’re primarily concerned, in both cases, with making sure the crew is safe and sound and bringing them home safely. We’re also concerned with the achievement of mission goals, and we use a lot of checklists. We use a lot of backup systems, so that if the primary system fails we have a fallback. Some of the differences are: NEEMO training is a lot closer to home; the environment isn’t quite as unusual as the space environment, and the mission is a little shorter so the training can be more compressed. Will you be conducting any research during your NEEMO mission? And, how is this similar to the research being conducted on the ISS? We will be conducting research on this NEEMO mission. We’ll be looking into the utility of, for instance, silver ion shirts – the shirt that I’m wearing right now, the fabric that it’s made
