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NEEMO 14 Crew Journal

NEEMO 14 Mission Day 11

Mission Day 11 Posted on May 24, 2010 03:39 PM
by Heather Paul and Amanda Knight
Analog Lead Technical Liaison for Education and Public Outreach Topside in Key Largo, Florida!

Mission Day 11 marked the first day of exploration of the Conch Reef environment surrounding the Aquarius habitat. During the extravehicular activities (EVAs), the aquanauts wore the life support mockups and added weights to their diving suits to simulate walking on the lunar surface. During these missions, the crew, along with the ROV (Remotely Operated Vehicle) evaluated science protocols for mapping and sample documentation and collection. The ROV provided situational awareness of the crew's activities to the aquanauts and the topside science team.

The morning EVA crew mapped an area surrounding a coral sand pathway 400 feet long and documented the health and diversity of the coral fingers on either side. The afternoon EVA crew picked up where the morning EVA crew finished and continued to map and characterize Conch Reef. At the end of the day, the crews had identified and located important sampling sites for mission day 12 geoscience exploration activities.