Sometimes NASA doesn't have to look up to perform some of their most important experiments. There are many cases where they need to look down, way down, to see how life would really be off our blue marble. Such is the case with NEEMO (or NASA Extreme Environment Mission Operations) in the Aquarius underwater laboratory.
Aquarius sits at the bottom of the sea, 62 feet down, near Key Largo, Florida, and is owned by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Since 2001, NASA has rented out a little space to perform missions that span from 10 to 14 days. There they perform EVAs, or Extra-vehicular activity (commonly known as a spacewalk).
The underwater living conditions are the best way to prepare for a life in a tiny capsule, surrounded by a harsh environment. The water gives a feeling of gravity-less weightlessness and the difficulties in working with those conditions. These brave souls, and perhaps astronauts in waiting, are known as aquanauts. The latest mission, NEEMO 16, lasted from June 11-22, 2012.
