Analog Astronauts: How Living Underwater Can Prepare Humans for Space Missions

Dr. Michaela Musilova has spent her life dreaming of going to space. This past summer, she took a big step toward that goal — not by launching into orbit, but by diving underwater. She led a five-day simulated space mission inside an underwater habitat near Key Largo, Florida, to test what it really feels like to live and work in an extreme environment.

The mission took place in a research station called Jules' Undersea Lab. It sits 22 feet below the surface of the ocean, and the only way to get in or out is by scuba diving. To be considered a true aquanaut, a person must stay underwater for at least 24 hours in a state called saturation, which means the body fully adjusts to the higher water pressure around it.

Dr. Musilova is what scientists call an analog astronaut. An analog astronaut participates in simulated space missions where they live and work in conditions similar to those on the International Space Station. She has been the Commander of nearly 40 such missions around the world, though almost all of them were on dry land, making them much safer than working underwater.

The underwater mission was called SEA STAR, and Dr. Musilova spent more than a year planning it. She had to find the right team, choose research projects, and raise enough money to make it happen. Her goal was to copy what real astronauts go through on the ISS, including difficult living conditions and a wide variety of daily work.

Despite all her experience, Dr. Musilova felt nervous before the mission began. Her mind filled with scary scenarios, like equipment breaking during an underwater spacewalk or a storm forcing everyone to evacuate at night. She even joked that watching the underwater thriller movie 'The Abyss' as a kid might have left her with some lasting fears.

Underwater missions come with stricter safety rules than land-based ones because the risks are much higher. This actually makes them feel more like real space missions, where one small mistake can turn into a very big problem. The water also let the team run special experiments in neutral buoyancy, where objects float as if they are weightless — just like in space.

Dr. Musilova's crew was made up of skilled divers and experienced analog astronauts. Paul Bakken handled the mission's planning and daily schedule, while Dr. Brandy Nunez kept the crew healthy and researched growing tiny plants called microgreens. Mission Specialist Jenn Pint, an industrial safety expert, studied how people and their environments affect each other in a space-like setting.

In the end, Dr. Musilova says she had to trust herself most of all. As she put on her scuba gear and prepared to dive for five days, she focused on the exciting experiments ahead. The nervous thoughts faded away, and by the time she took her last breath of surface air, she felt completely calm — ready to begin her underwater space mission.