An international crew of "aquanauts" just returned from a NASA mission right here on Earth. The spent ten days living at the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean, conducting experiments and simulating space walks off Florida's coast, as part of research efforts the agency says will prepare astronauts living and working in space and even with a manned mission to Mars.
Dr. Dominic D’Agostino, a researcher of molecular pharmacology and physiology at the USF's Morsani School of Medicine, and Dr. Csilla Ari D'Agostino, an assistant professor at FSU's Department of Psychology, join Gulf Coast Live to discuss their role in NASA's Extreme Environment Mission Operations, or NEEMO, which resurfaced in late June after 10 days living at the Aquarius laboratory 62 feet below the surface of the ocean near Key Largo.
Dr. D. D'Agostino spent his time living and working "at saturation" during the NEEMO 22 mission. His wife, Dr. C.A. D'Agostino, was part of the team providing support operations, monitoring, and psychological testing with the surface crew.
Also joining the show is NASA astronaut Kjell Lindgren, commander of the NEEMO 22 mission and an astronaut with 141 days of living and working aboard the International Space Station. He'll share his experiences in space and at depth, and discuss how NEEMO's work under the ocean can prepare astronauts for their jobs in the extreme environment of space, and eventually, on another planet.
Editor's note: a version of this story appeared online that misidentified Dr. Csilla Ari D'Agostino's work with USF. The above text reflects those corrections.