I’ll be flying around ISS today!
Not really, but I will be scuba diving in the Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory (NBL) with my EVA instructor, Faruq, to prepare Friday’s run in the pressure suit. And since we have a full scale replica of the ISS under water (except the Russian segment), it feels really like flying around Station!
When the training schedule allows it, diving is a great preparation for a suited run. We can get a feel for translation paths, obstacles along the way, safety tether routing. And we can check out worksites and understand the geometry involved. What body position is better? How can I secure myself? Where should I attach my tool bag or temporarily stow a spare unit while we remove a failed one?
As you can see in the pictures, somehow you even meet a suited crewmember or two when you dive in the pool! Recognize my fellow Shenanigan Alex in this “old” picture?
With Alex. Credits: NASA
With Alex. Credits: NASA
07/08/2013