14 DAY TRIAL // A NASA mission meant to emulate the conditions of exploring a near-Earth asteroid by putting astronauts to work in an underwater environment ended earlier than planned due to the growing threat that Hurricane Rina posed to the experiment.
The 15th NASA Extreme Environment Mission Operations (NEEMO15) was brought to an end after just five days when officials from the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) evaluated the tropical storm to be capable of endangering the underwater facility and its crew.
NEEMO expeditions are usually conducted in the Aquarius Underwater Laboratory, off the coast of Key Largo, in Florida. NOAA operates the lab, and is therefore responsible for its security and safety.
On Wednesday morning, October 26, all six aquanauts that made up the descent team evacuated Aquarius and returned to the surface. Still, the mission was not a bust. During NEEMO15, the crew managed to complete six underwater spacewalks and one day of scientific research.