Space Missions

Mission 1 - NEEMO XXII SeaTest Mission
Principal Investigator: Bill Todd, NASA/USF
Saturation: May 18-22
Total Days: 5
The dive EVA objectives included: Integrated EVA science operations (using the Coral in situ metabolism instrument, CISME); IV Support System (timeline tracking, EV crew real time tracking with "Navigator", Remote viewing of EV crew); Integrated Informatics (EVA Navigation & MCC crew tracking); EVA equipment transportation (testing modular tool transport system & small tool transport on EVA suit); Core sample acquisition (using UW drill for coral sampling); Testing of the UW tablet or iDive.

Mission 3 - NEEMO XXII
Principal Investigator: Bill Todd, NASA/USF
Saturation: June 18-27
Total Days: 10
NASA sent an international crew to Aquarius in July 2017 to prepare for future deep space missions during this 10-day NASA Extreme Environment Mission Operations (NEEMO) 22 expedition which began on June 18, 2017. NEEMO 22 focused on both exploration spacewalks and objectives related to the International Space Station and deep space missions. As an analogue for future planetary science concepts and strategies, marine science was performed under the guidance of FIU marine scientists.

Mission 3 - NEEMO XXI Engineering Run
Principal Investigator: Bill Todd, NASA/USRA
Saturation: May 18-22
Total Days: 5

Mission 4 - NEEMO XXI
Principal Investigator: Bill Todd, NASA/USRA
Saturation: July 21 - August 5
Total Days: 16

NASA Space Simulation and Training Project: NEEMO 16
Principal Investigator: Bill Todd, NASA/USRA
Training: June 4 - 8
Saturation: June 11 - 22

The crew of NEEMO 16 will leave the comforts of surface life, and immerse themselves in an undersea world of adventure. This will not be a vacation, as nearly every moment of their 13-day mission will be filled with tests and operations, designed to help NASA understand the factors relevant to actual space missions..

Primary objectives are to test the equipment and operational concepts needed for exploration to near-Earth asteroids (NEAs). This near-zero gravity environment presents a unique challenge where anchoring, tethering, and translating devices will be necessary for surface operations.

Manned deepwater submersibles acting as Space Exploration Vehicles (SEVs) will interact with Extra-Vehicular Activity (EVA) crewmembers to test the efficiency of different operations:

• NEA attachment/translation/sampling methods/instrument deployment,
• One SEV vs. none vs. two SEVs on effectiveness/efficiency,
• SEV & EVA crew interactions; tethered, robotic arm, foot restraints,
• Effects of crew size (3 vs. 4) on effectiveness/efficiency.

NASA Space Simulation and Training Project: NEEMO 15
Principal Investigator: Bill Todd, NASA-USRA
Training: Oct 10 — 14
Saturation: Oct 20 - 26

The crew of NEEMO 15 will leave the comforts of surface life, and immerse themselves in an undersea world of adventure. This will not be a vacation, as nearly every moment of their 13-day mission will be filled with tests and operations, designed to help NASA understand the factors relevant to actual space missions.

Primary objectives are to test the equipment and operational concepts needed for exploration to near-Earth asteroids (NEAs). This near-zero gravity environment presents a unique challenge where anchoring, tethering, and translating devices will be necessary for surface operations. Manned deepwater submersibles acting as Space Exploration Vehicles (SEVs) will interact with Extra-Vehicular Activity (EVA) crewmembers to test the efficiency of different operations:

• NEA attachment/translation/sampling methods/instrument deployment,

• One SEV vs. none vs. two SEVs on effectiveness/efficiency,

• SEV & EVA crew interactions; tethered, robotic arm, foot restraints,

• Effects of crew size (3 vs. 4) on effectiveness/efficiency, and

• Suit center of gravity (CG)massgravity level research to optimize for flexible missions.

Engineering tests were conducted May 9-13, 2011, at Aquarius. The NEEMO support team performed surface dives to configure and lay out test sites, including a rock wall. All communication systems were tested and preparations made for the main October mission.
 

NASA Space Simulation and Training Project: NEEMO 14
Principal Investigator: Bill Todd, NASA/USRA
Training: May 4 — 7
Saturation: 10 — 23

This is the 14th mission of NASA Extreme Environment Mission Operations (NEEMO) taking place at NOAA's Aquarius Reef Base. During NEEMO missions, astronauts and researchers live and work underwater for many days at a time to conduct valuable research that will help astronauts and scientists learn more about numerous aspects of planetary exploration.

NASA’s aquanauts, supported by topside personnel, will work with mockups of an exploration lander, surface rover, ascent module and airlock with the dual goals of providing astronauts practical experience in an analogous environment and providing scientists and engineers with feedback on ergonomic and usability issues related to the equipment design. Other NASA personnel will also be conducting physiological, behavioral, teamwork and biomedical research to help develop medical techniques for long duration space travel. The mission will last for 14 days, commencing with a day for move-in and familiarization, 5 days of diving and testing with the mockups, an off-diving day, 5 more days of diving and testing with the mockups, and concluding with a decompression day and a recovery day.

Mission 2 — NASA Space Simulation and Training Project: NEEMO 12
Principal Investigator: Bill Todd, NASA / United Space Alliance
Training: April 30 — May 4
Mission: May 7 — 18

Mission 5 — NASA Space Simulation and Training Project: NEEMO 13
Principal Investigator: Bill Todd, NASA/United Space Alliance
Training: July 30 — August 3
Mission: August 6 — 15

Mission 2 — NASA Space Simulation and Training Project: NEEMO 9
Principal Investigator: Bill Todd, NASA/United Space Alliance
Training: March 27 — 31
Mission: April 3 — 20

Mission 5 — NASA Space Simulation and Training Project: NEEMO 10
Principal Investigator: Bill Todd, NASA/United Space Alliance
Training: July 18 — 20
Mission: July 22 — 28

Mission 6 — NASA Space Simulation and Training Project: NEEMO 11
Principal Investigator: Bill Todd, NASA/United Space Alliance
Training: September 12 — 14
Mission: September 16 — 22

Mission 3 — NASA Space Simulation and Training Project: NEEMO VI.
Principal Investigator: Bill Todd, NASA/United Space Alliance
Training: July 6-10
Mission: July 12-21

Mission 6 — International Bio-Medical Research Mission
Principal Investigator: Bill Todd, NASA/United Space Alliance
Training: October 4-8
Mission: October 11-21

This project is being conducted by CMAS in collaboration with CSA and NASA (CMAS is a not-for-profit group located at St-Joseph's Hospital in Hamilton, Ontario and supported by the Faculty of Health Sciences at McMaster University.) The Principal Investigator on this project is Dr. Mehran Anvari. The co-investigators are Dr. Paul Whelan and Dr. Julian Dobranowski. The Mission Director is Bill Todd from United Space Alliance/NASA and the Mission Commander is Dr. Robert Thirsk, CSA Astronaut. The project goal is to evaluate the ability of tele-mentoring and tele-robotics in performing emergency diagnostic and a number of emergency surgical and interventional therapies in a confined environment as found on ISS environment.

The University of North Carolina at Wilmington (UNCW), North Carolina, USA operates the National Undersea Research Center (NURC) for the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). They currently manage and operate the Aquarius habitat, an underwater research facility off the coast of Key Largo, Florida, USA. NASA has utilized this facility for 6 previous undersea space analog research missions. The NASA Extreme Environment Mission Operations (NEEMO), which is a program within NASA, has executed and managed all previous missions.

The goal of this project is to test Medical and Surgical Tele-robotics & Tele-mentoring technologies during space-analogue mission in extreme Environment (Aquarius Underwater Habitat), in order to assess feasibility and utilization on ISS

Scope

1. To assess feasibility and limitations of medical and surgical tele-robotic and tele-mentoring surgical techniques for spaceflight, using off-the-shelf commercial tele-robotic hardware, during the space-analogue mission in extreme environment (Aquarius Underwater Habitat).
2. To obtain training for CSA and NASA astronauts through the performance of spaceflight science and operations objectives in a space analogue environment.

Objectives

1. For CMAS, to use the Aquarius habitat as a space analog environment for long duration space flight research during a 11-day research mission to test tele robotic surgery concepts and procedures and surgical tele mentoring;
2. For NASA and CSA astronauts, to use the facility to perform emergency diagnostic and surgical tasks on a simulated patient's model aided by tele mentoring and tele robotic connectivity to CMAS/ St. Joseph's Hospital.
3. For CSA & NASA, to develop leadership skills, teamwork, and adaptation to extreme close confinement; and,
4. For NASA and CSA astronauts, to perform space-analog sciences.

Mission 3 - NASA: Space Station Training and Simulation (including education and outreach)
Principal Investigator: Bill Todd, NASA/USRA
Saturation: May 13-21
Total Days: 9

Mission 7 - NASA: Space Station Training and Simulation (including education and outreach)
Principal Investigator: Bill Todd, NASA/USRA
Saturation: September 23-27
Total Days: 5