NASA Astronauts Go Underwater To Test Tools for Exploring Asteroids

NASA begins preparations for the 2020 manned asteroid mission with astronauts zipping up in new colored suits diving underwater to test tools for exploring the asteroid.

In a latest announcement NASA declared that it has already kick-started the preparations for an asteroid mission by testing new tools and techniques needed for the exploration.

Having spent 62 hours in space on nine shuttle mission spacewalks, astronauts Stan Love and Steve Bowen, are utilizing their experience by assisting engineers in deciding on the requirements of astronauts as they plunge into Deep Space.

The duo zipped in orange space entry suits took a deep dive in a 40 feet swimming pool in Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory at NASA's Johnson Space Center.  Staying afloat underwater replicates the same lack of gravity that astronauts need to practice for spacewalks.

"We're working on the techniques and tools we might use someday to explore a small asteroid that was captured from an orbit around the sun and brought back by a robotic spacecraft to orbit around the moon," Love said in a statement. "When it's there, we can send people there to take samples and take a look at it up close. That's our main task; we're looking at tools we'd use for that, how we'd take those samples."

One such tool tested was a pneumatic hammer- the battery-powered version. One of the main tasks on the asteroid mission is to retrieve core samples that represent the asteroid's layers and this sample could also throw light on the age of the solar system and how it was formed. But using the same tools used by a geologist to collect the sample or chips of rock isn't safe as swinging the hammer during the process might destroy the sheet that glass that is necessary to stay alive.

Apart from this they evaluated a new spacesuit that could be worn in an asteroid.   To avoid weight on Orion spacecraft that will carry the astronauts to the asteroid, the team is working to turn the Shuttle-heritage Advanced Crew Escape Suit (ACES) into something more appropriate for spacewalk.

"We need some significant modifications to make it easy to translate," Bowen said. "I can't stretch my arms out quite as far as in the [space station space suit]. The work envelop is very small. So as we get through, we look at these tasks. These tasks are outstanding to help us develop what needs to be modified in the suit, as well."

At the moment the space agency is working on identifying an asteroid that could be reached by a robotic mission to seize it and transfer it in a more stable orbit around the moon.