Page 9 - All About Space 68 - 2017 UK

© ESA/DLR/FU Berlin

Outer space rescue...

under water

NASA astronaut Kjell Lindgren pulls fellow ‘aquanaut’ Pedro Duque on a stretcher, in a
simulated lunar rescue on the 22nd NASA Extreme Environment Mission Operations
assignment, dubbed NEEMO-22. The Aquarius underwater habitat, located off the
coast of Florida, serves as a makeshift ‘space base’ for trainee astronauts to make
regular ‘waterwalks’ in full scuba gear. By adjusting their buoyancy, future spacefarers
can simulate the gravity levels found on the Moon, Mars or asteroids.
The aim of the Lunar Evacuation System Assembly (pictured here) allows for the
quick recovery of a moonwalker while keeping the limited mobility of a spacesuit
in mind. It took Lindgren and Duque roughly 17 hours to return to the surface,
compared to the five to six hours it normally takes to return to Earth from space.

© NASA–M. Reagan

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