Before Artemis II lifted off from Kennedy Space Center in Florida, two of its astronauts trained beneath the ocean at FIU's Aquarius Reef Base.
Artemis II Commander Reid Wiseman and Canadian Mission Specialist Jeremy Hansen both trained and lived underwater as aquanauts at Aquarius, Wiseman in 2016 and Hansen in 2014. Now both men are about to orbit the moon along with NASA astronauts Victor Glover and Christina Koch.
Aquarius, the world's only underwater research laboratory, is located off the coast of Key Largo. In addition to being a significant resource for ocean research, Aquarius serves as a training ground for astronauts to simulate the isolation, confinement and operational challenges of spaceflight. Through NASA's NEEMO (NASA Extreme Environment Mission Operations) missions, crews live and work underwater for days at a time — testing equipment, conducting research and building the teamwork required for space exploration.
For FIU Aquarius operations director Hank Stark, working with astronauts is both routine and remarkable.
"It's exciting. It's always a unique opportunity to work with NASA and always interesting," he said. "Going to space is something I think everyone dreams about at some point in their life."
For decades, Aquarius has been a temporary home for aquanauts to live and work underwater. Its existence allows scientists to bypass the crippling time limits of traditional scuba diving and immerse themselves in the mysteries of the ocean. In 2013, FIU assumed operational control and ownership of Aquarius, establishing the FIU Medina Aquarius Program. Today, the university is upgrading Aquarius with new technological advancements and developing plans for Aquarius II.
