The mission boils down to testing technologies for space missions of the future

Jul 23, 2014 08:55 GMT  ·  By

A couple of day ago, on July 21, a team of four astronauts arrived at an undersea laboratory off the coast of Florida, US. The daredevils are to spend a little over a week in this man-made underwater habitat.

According to Live Science, the 9-day underwater mission that these four astronauts must complete is part and parcel of a so-called Extreme Environment Mission Operations project spearheaded by NASA.

The end goal of the mission it to make it possible for the astronauts to test technologies intended for space missions of the future in an alien-like environment.

Besides, information shared with the public says that, while living at the Florida International University's Aquarius Reef Base, the explorers will undergo training expected to help them better cope with conditions in space.

Thus, word has it that, while living in this man-made habitat, the astronauts will every once in a while go on simulated space walks underwater. The mission is to pay special attention to health, both physical and mental.

The four daredevils that will get to spend 9 days exploring the bottom of the ocean are Japanese astronaut Akihiko Hoshide, NASA astronauts Jeanette Epps and Mark Vande Hei, and French astronaut Thomas Pesquet.

The undersea laboratory that now serves as a home for these astronauts it located at a depth of about 62 feet (19 meters), and sits at a distance of approximately 6 miles (10 kilometers) from shore.