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Undersea adventure a prelude to space

From the submerged lab Aquarius off Key Largo, NASA's Nicole Passonno Stott prepares for months on the space station.

By JILL ANN PERRINO
Published April 11, 2006

	[Special to the Times]
	Crew members for the ninth NASA Extreme Environment Mission Operations arrive at their temporary home on April 3. They will stay at the Aquarius laboratory off the coast of Key Largo through April 20.
	Nicole Passonno Stott, 43, is scheduled for a six-month space mission. See More: A live look inside the Aquarius undersea lab

As part of her training to be an astronaut, Nicole Passonno Stott has become an aquanaut.

Stott, 43, who grew up in Clearwater but now works for NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston, is spending more than two weeks aboard the undersea laboratory Aquarius.

"It's the closest thing to being in space," Stott said in a telephone interview Saturday from the Aquarius. She is one of an elite group of people who have spent more than 24 hours under the sea in "saturation." It's all part of her training for a long-duration space flight.

Stott and five others went into the Aquarius lab on April 3 and are scheduled to emerge on April 20. There are parallels between deep sea and space, she said, and they have a lot to do with living in close quarters.

"You can't just walk out the door," said Stott, a 1980 graduate of Clearwater High School.

At 45 feet long and 13 feet in diameter, the Aquarius is about the size of the space station's living quarters. It is 3.5 miles off Key Largo in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary and rests about 62 feet beneath the surface.

But Stott and the rest of NASA's NEEMO 9 (Extreme Environment Mission Operations) team are doing more than just learning to live within constraints. They will be testing important medical concepts and moon-walking techniques.

On Saturday, for instance, two team members headed out on a dive that ultimately will help space suit designers build better gear.

Meanwhile, aboard the Aquarius, new long-distance medical techniques and their limitations are studied.

Stott, who graciously spends time educating others about the mission, says it's important to get the word out about the things they are doing and the benefits to society. Regarding the remote surgeries, for instance, someday they will be used, not just on astronauts, but also on soldiers and patients living in remote areas.

"In our day-to-day lives we can forget about the benefits to us on earth," she said. "It's important to get the word out about the good things going on here."

To that end, NASA has set up a Web site with detailed information about Aquarius and the NEEMO Missions. The Aquarius also has a Web cam with live broadcasts inside and outside the vessel.

Whether she's observing the interesting marine life or completing her tasks the experience aboard Aquarius has been good.

"I'm really excited and looking forward to going out in space," said Stott, who will fly to Russia to begin her next training session a week after her NEEMO mission.

Stott is a backup crew member for NASA Expedition 16, a six-month space station mission that is scheduled for late 2007, and is a prime crew member for Expedition 17, another six-month space station mission in 2008.

Stott says she never gets tired of talking about her missions, whether she's speaking one-on-one with the media or if she's teleconferencing with multiple classrooms - both things she and the crew are able to do aboard the Aquarius.

In addition to educational outreach, she often has an inspirational message for others, especially students facing future career decisions.

"Pay attention to the things you think are fun and interesting," she said. "Let that guide you."

[Last modified April 11, 2006, 02:30:31]