| Douglas
Wheelock |  | | NEEMO
6 Mission Specialist Doug Wheelock encounters a sea turtle. | | RELATED
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NEEMO
6 Journals
NEEMO
6, Douglas Wheelock
Day 9, Tuesday, July 20, 2004
The sun is
setting on Mission Day 9 here on Aquarius, and the sea is changing
color to a deep blue. We've completed our mission here on the ocean
floor and I will forever be changed by this experience. Our days
were full of science and engineering tasks each day, both outside
and inside the habitat. I found a quiet spot near the porthole window
in the bunk room to try to capture this incredible adventure in
words. It's a remarkable view out the window on a world that I've
become familiar with, but I am still very much a stranger in this
place. I can just barely make out the shimmer of last rays of sunlight
on the surface. It is difficult to find words to describe the experience.
We have very clear objectives each day, yet the sea meets us each
morning with surprises that remind us that we are just visitors
here. I came here with a professional goal to learn everything I
can about living and working in an extreme environment. But, I also
promised myself that I would take time to look around and try to
brand the images of life under the sea in my mind, so I can tell
the story of my mission and what I learned about Aquarius, myself,
and the beauty of the ocean.
We spent an
average of 4 to 5 hours a day outside the habitat on a variety of
missions. We wear a full face mask down here, giving us the ability
to communicate using ultrasound through the water. This was incredibly
eye-opening for me since I've spent the last couple of years in
Mission Control in Houston, supporting our space exploration aboard
the International Space Station. On this mission under the sea,
we had a mission control team in Houston that we communicated with
while on our 'inner space walks.' It was great to be on the operational
end of a real mission and to understand the importance of good,
clear communication before, during, and after tasks both inside
and outside Aquarius.
 | | NEEMO
6 Mission Specialist Doug Wheelock. |
I have a new
appreciation for the sea and the complexity and vulnerability of
the reef. We had the opportunity to work on the conch reef each
day. A dawn dive on Mission Day 6 and a night dive on Mission Day
7 gave us a chance to view this strange world under various lighting
conditions. The reef never disappointed us. There is a constant
flurry of activity outside the habitat. I can't help but think of
the life and death struggle that we witness each day and night out
in the open ocean. If the fish aren't eating, they're looking for
something to eat, and if they're not doing that, they're trying
to keep from getting eaten! During our dawn dive, a large sea turtle
glided by and circled back to check us out. He got about 6 inches
from my mask and was looking at me as if to say, "What in the
world are you doing out here at this time in the morning?"
It was a wonderful sight. Most of the life on the reef is oblivious
to us as we do our work. I'm glad of that, because we are all trying
very hard to manage our buoyancy to keep from rising in the water
column and moving dangerously close to the surface, which at this
point is our enemy, since we are in saturation. But, we also are
trying to keep from sinking to the bottom and disturbing the reef.
So essentially, we are trying to hover in place, which you wouldn't
think would be a problem for a helicopter pilot. It took me a bit
of time to master this task, but we all got better with buoyancy
control as the days went by.
Early in the
mission, as John Herrington and I were working on the pinnacle excursion
line to the south of the habitat, we saw the most incredible sight,
and my mind keeps replaying the spectacle. I suppose it is one of
those things that I will remember for life. We saw two huge Manta
Rays swimming loops next to each other on a feeding run. Boy, talk
about feeling like a visitor! I'll never be the same after seeing
that. They had a wingspan of 10-12 feet! I'll tell that story over
and over, I'm sure. I'm sure it may be embellished with time, and
that wingspan may increase over the months and years ahead, but
I'll never forget what we saw.
Most every morning, our first task on the timeline is our morning
daily planning conference with our topside support team. We review
our schedule for the day and make sure that we're clear on procedures,
data collection and objectives of each of our activities.
Probably the
most challenging engineering task during our mission was 'Waterlab.'
This was a truss structure out on the sand flat just to the east
of the Aquarius habitat. Nick and Tara went outside for the first
construction task. John and I tackled the second mission, and all
four of us completed the final assembly. We had some challenging
surprises along the way. We planned as much as we could, but never
saw 'Waterlab' put together on dry land. Assembling a complex truss
structure that we had never assembled before and in a hostile environment,
we definitely had some challenges! It really is a confidence builder
though, to be able to look out on the completed structure. The antenna
and the solar array are about 20 feet off the ocean floor, and it
is very easy now to determine the direction and strength of the
current. The barracuda love the linear features on 'Waterlab.' They
line up with the vertical segments of the truss in formation, facing
into the current. It is quite a sight to see. They look so menacing
but they are really quite shy and very curious. I haven't had a
chance to witness them feeding yet, and I suppose that I might not
want to hang around for that action. I have a very healthy respect
for these guys, remembering that this is their home, and I am just
a guest.
John and I
spent quite a bit of time working on the 'Crossbow' and 'Versus'
wireless tracking systems inside the habitat. These are devices
that are used to track critical personnel and hardware in a closed
environment, like the International Space Station, or in a building
here on Earth. We are testing it down here in the habitat and hope
to see something like this in use one day in space. Tracking of
critical personnel and equipment can be an extremely valuable tool
in places such as hospitals, and can help us manage contingency
situations aboard the International Space Station.
We also finished
three workout sessions using a resistive exercise machine that Tara
brought down from the NASA Engineering Directorate. It is gravity
independent and uses constant torque springs to deliver constant
resistance through the full range of motion. We brought the exercise
equipment into the habitat from the wet porch to get out of the
humidity, but the CO2 levels spiked a bit, so at the request of
the Aquarius techs here with us, we decided to move the equipment
back to the wet porch. It's like weightlifting inside a sauna, but
it's not a bad workout. We put the machine through its paces, and
we hope to see results of our study enhancing crew countermeasures
during space travel.
It is with
mixed emotions that I prepare for my last night aboard Aquarius.
She's a fine ship and a national treasure. We've left Aquarius in
excellent condition and ready for all of you future aquanauts out
there. Tomorrow morning we'll bid farewell to our home that served
us so well. I leave forever changed. I feel unbelievably fortunate
to have participated in such an exciting mission. I'll never look
at the ocean quite the same way again. This is a wonderful planet
that we share and I am excited to know that future explorers and
inner space travelers will continue to fill Aquarius with tales
from the deep, laughter, research, wonder, and a passion for discovery.
Goodnight from Aquarius and the NEEMO 6 team.
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