Subscribe free to our newsletters via your
. Nuclear Energy News .




SPACE TRAVEL
The pressure is on for aquanauts
by Staff Writers
Paris, France (ESA) Jun 12, 2012


ESA astronaut Timothy Peake training for the PADI Rescue Diver certificate at ESA's astronaut training centre in Cologne, Germany. "The better diver you are, the better you will be at spacewalks," explains Herve Stevenin, head of the Astronaut Training Unit preparing ESA astronauts for spacewalks. "Scuba diving is as close as it gets to experiencing weightlessness on Earth for long periods of time." Credits: ESA-Dr. H. Rub.

A splashdown in the ocean used to mark the end of an astronaut's mission. For ESA astronaut Timothy Peake and his crewmates, their mission will have just started. Today, some time during 11:00-13:00 GMT, Tim will dive to an underwater base off the coast of Florida. Neemo missions train astronauts for life in space. Living and working in an underwater base is similar to space stations.

During the 10-day mission, Tim and his six crewmates will live in cramped conditions, perform 'waterwalks' and will have to solve problems as a team.

The base is around 20 m under the sea and aquanauts will experience air pressure 2.5 times than at sea level.

At this depth, the aquanauts will not be able to surface without safety stops. Quick evacuation to fresh air is not possible.

This year Neemo aquanauts are challenging students to prove their understanding of natural phenomena in an educational programme called Science Under Pressure.

Tim and fellow aquanauts performed a number of educational experiments before diving down to the Neemo base. What will happen when the same experiment is performed under pressure? Will fizzy drinks still have their bubbles? Will toy helicopters be able to fly in the denser air of the underwater base?

Students are invited to follow the Neemo mission and speculate on the outcome of these experiments. The first correct answers on Facebook and Twitter will receive official recognition.

Follow Neemo via social media. In addition to the specific Neemo Facebook and Twitter accounts, Tim can send tweets via @Astro_TimPeake. ESA's astronaut trainers will be blogging and tweeting on ESA's astronaut blog and via @Astro_trainer.

.


Related Links
Neemo at NASA
Space Tourism, Space Transport and Space Exploration News






Comment on this article via your Facebook, Yahoo, AOL, Hotmail login.

Share this article via these popular social media networks
del.icio.usdel.icio.us DiggDigg RedditReddit GoogleGoogle








SPACE TRAVEL
China calls for inclusive development of outer space
Vienna (XNA) Jun 07, 2012
China advocates peaceful use of outer space and will strive for inclusive development of outer space, a senior Chinese diplomat said here Wednesday. The notion of achieving the inclusive development of outer space proposed by the Chinese government contained three aspects, said Cheng Jingye, China's Permanent Representative to the United Nations and other International Organizations in Vienna. ... read more


SPACE TRAVEL
Environmental benefit of biofuels is overestimated, new study claims

Steel-Strength Plastics That Are Clean And Green

Bigger refuges needed to delay pest resistance to biotech corn

Gasification may convert mesquite and juniper wood to a usable bioenergy

SPACE TRAVEL
Photovoltaic Cells Tap Underwater Solar Energy

New twist on old chemical process could boost energy efficiency

Solar cells for underwater use developed

Renewable energy costs falling: agency

SPACE TRAVEL
Change in air as Africa's biggest wind farm set for Kenya

Wind Powering An Island Economy

China Leads Growth in Global Wind Power Capacity

US slaps duties on Chinese wind towers

SPACE TRAVEL
TEPCO to buy 1 million tons LNG a year from Qatar

Nuclear and coal-fired electrical plants vulnerable to climate change

American Electric Power Pulls Billion Dollar Big Sandy Request

US and European energy supplies vulnerable to climate change

SPACE TRAVEL
US exempts India, but not China, from Iran sanctions

Iraq looks to raise profile with OPEC candidate

Oil slick threatens drinking water supply of Canadian town

Philippine churches turn on Manila over US troops

SPACE TRAVEL
Tiny Planet-Finding Mirrors Borrow from Webb Telescope Playbook

Astronomers Probe 'Evaporating' Planet Around Nearby Star with Hobby-Eberly Telescope

Venus transit may boost hunt for other worlds

NSO To Use Venus Transit To Fine-Tune Search For Other Worlds

SPACE TRAVEL
Skanska to build Navy explosives wharf

Iran claims designing nuclear submarine

U.S. braces for action in Persian Gulf

Taiwan probes 'stealth' boat's missing computer

SPACE TRAVEL
Impact atlas catalogs over 635,000 Martian craters

e2v imaging sensors launched into space on NASA mission to Mars

NASA Mars Rover Team Aims for Landing Closer to Prime Science Site

NASA's Mars rover zeroes in on August landing




The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2014 - Space Media Network. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA Portal Reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. Advertising does not imply endorsement,agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. Privacy Statement