Splash down

Magnus (second from left) on Sept. 16.

UMR alum Sandra Magnus, a veteran space flyer astronaut, is leading a crew of four this week on a seven-day undersea training mission. The crew, preparing for a possible assignment to the International Space Station, will imitate moonwalks and test concepts for mobility using various spacesuit configurations and weights to simulate lunar gravity. Techniques for communication, navigation, geological sample retrieval, construction and using remote-controlled robots on the moon's surface also will be tested.

"We continue to press the limits of our imaginations as we test operational concepts that may be used when we return to the moon," said NEEMO 11 Mission Director Marc Reagan. "Building on the NEEMO 9 and 10 missions, we will explore new challenges and learn to overcome the inherent difficulties of living and working on the moon. These results will allow our designers and engineers to improve designs of habitats, robots and spacesuits."

Magnus flew to the International Space Station in October 2002 and used the station's robotic arm to help attach a new segment to the station's truss structure.

Click here for more information about NEEMO, including mission imagery, crew journals, and links to webcams and the Digital Learning Network.