Dr. Michaela Musilova led a four-person crew through a five-day saturation mission at Jules’ Undersea Lab near Key Largo, Florida, operating 22 feet underwater to simulate the physiological and logistical constraints of long-duration spaceflight on the International Space Station.
Living and Working Under Pressure in Key Largo
The SEA STAR mission kept its crew submerged in a wet environment 22 feet below the surface. This saturation state forced their body tissues to absorb maximum inert gases like nitrogen. The location served as a terrestrial analog for orbital flight. Instead of zero gravity, the aquanauts tackled diving logistics, bathroom plumbing issues, and low-visibility underwater spacewalks.
Life support machinery generated constant noise throughout the habitat. Bathroom plumbing malfunctioned. The crew maintained strict safety protocols during every scuba excursion because low visibility limited the environment around the laboratory structure.
Executing Analog Research and Environmental Maintenance
As Commander, Musilova oversaw a tightly scheduled research slate mirroring tasks assigned to ISS crews. Executive Officer Paul Bakken managed internal pressure variables for logistical transfer containers during significant environmental shifts. Mission Specialist Jenn Pint collaborated with Interstellar Performance Labs to build a taxonomy for assessing environmental and crew interaction metrics.
Analog Astronaut Commander and Aquanaut Michaela Musilova led underwater simulated “spacewalks” in low visibility to test astronaut safety and communication protocols during simulated space missions. https://t.co/L6yVDVneMP
Health & Safety Officer Dr. Brandy Nunez handled microgreens experiments. The team tested how kale and salad mix seeds reacted to different pressure release rates during descent, noting clear barotrauma in batches subjected to sudden pressure increases. The aquanauts also ran neutral buoyancy trials, tested environmental sensors built by students in Slovakia, and cleared nature around the habitat using an underwater vacuum device.
Cognitive Testing and the Underview Effect
Musilova partnered with the Center for Hyperbaric Medicine, Faculty of Medicine of the University of Ostrava and City Hospital Ostrava in the Czech Republic to study cognitive performance. The crew executed reaction-time tests, noting their response times were slower during the mission than before it. Outside of formal experiments, the visual isolation from the surface triggered an underview effect. Watching sunlight filter through the green water column gave the commander a profound sense of distance from normal daily life and heightened her appreciation for our home world.
The Ascent and Surface Transition
After finishing their last scheduled tasks, the team donned diving gear, breathed the stuffy undersea air one final time, and exited the habitat. They navigated a long detour around the surrounding lagoon to help their bodies adjust to lower pressures and prevent decompression-related problems. Breaching the surface restored normal atmospheric pressure, fresh air, and direct sunlight, though Florida’s temperature quickly forced the returning aquanauts to hide away from it again.
