Every effort has led to this moment.
Vanguard is now in the Florida Keys, where the DEEP Station Florida team is seeing the complete system together for the first time ahead of deployment at Tennessee Reef.
The complete system — habitat, foundation, and support buoy — ready for its new home on the seafloor.
#DEEP #OceanExploration #Vanguard
Coming back to the surface isn’t as simple as opening a hatch.
The crew inside Vanguard will be living at a pressure greater than on land. Resurfacing safely means a controlled decompression process designed to allow the body to adapt gradually.
How does it work?
Here’s a step-by-step explainer of the journey back to the surface.
#DEEP #OceanExploration #Decompression
Day in the life: Episode 10
Piloting a sub never loses its thrill.
It's time to go behind the scenes and meet Johnny Dolan, Submersible Pilot at DEEP.
See what's involved in a day's work above and below the water.
#DEEP #OceanExploration #DITL
There are many species of cucumber in the ocean.
None of them belong in a salad.
This is a sea cucumber: a transparent, gelatinous deep-sea drifter that helps clean the ocean floor by feeding on organic matter.
Transparent bodies are surprisingly common in the ocean, helping animals blend into their surroundings. The more we explore the ocean, the more incredible life reveals itself to be.
#DEEP #OceanExploration #CreatureFeature #SeaCucumber
It might surprise you, but one of the best ways to prepare for space missions is to live underwater.
Reid Wiseman, commander of the Artemis II lunar flyby, was also commander of NASA’s Extreme Environment Mission Operation 21.
Also part of the crew was DEEP’s Director of Scientific Research, Dawn Kernagis.
She says of the experience:
“It was an honor to witness my fellow NEEMO 21 crew member and Commander, Reid Wiseman, lead the first human trip to the Moon in over 50 years.
Reid, alongside astronaut Megan McArthur, were leaders who were calm under pressure, had sharp team instincts, and their genuine warmth set the tone for the entire mission.
For Reid, we saw these leadership characteristics continue to shine through leading the Artemis II mission. Living and working in the extreme underwater environment, you learn very quickly who someone really is – he was exactly the leader you'd want beside you.
Every day underwater during our mission reinforced why space analog missions matter. The data we collected is valuable, and the lived experience – the fatigue, the problem-solving, the moments of unexpected joy looking out at the reef – is something no simulation on land can replicate.”
Image credit: NASA
#DEEP #OceanExploration #NASA
Day in the life: Episode 9
Every day is a little different for Tom Potts (@purpleraider51 ), Associate Director of Habitat Operations at DEEP.
Follow Tom for a behind the scenes look at a day in his life selecting Vanguard's deployment site and working with our engineering team, scientists and partners.
#DEEP #OceanExploration
Vanguard is on its way.
Our pilot subsea human habitat has left Louisiana, headed to its ocean destination. Next comes the complex marine operation to deploy Vanguard at Tennessee Reef within the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary.
A huge milestone towards building the future of subsea habitation and ocean research.
#DEEP #OceanExploration #Vanguard
It was great to see Vanguard in lights last week.
We supported @oceanculturelife 's 'Sea and Space' event, coinciding with Earth Day, alongside @spacefabworld and @spaceforartfoundation .
It was a privilege to be given the opportunity to share our love of ocean exploration, stress its importance, and showcase the progress we're making.
#DEEP #OceanExploration
