Led by veteran commander Dr. Michaela Musilova, the SEA STAR crew spent five days this summer living and working as aquanauts inside the Jules’ Undersea Lab, an underwater research station located 22 feet beneath the surface near Key Largo, Florida, to simulate the high-stakes environmental challenges of space missions.
Dr. Michaela Musilova organized and led the SEA STAR mission after commanding nearly 40 simulated space missions on land around the world. According to mission reporting, the risks of equipment failure during a simulated spacewalk or during routine maintenance activities are much higher underwater than during standard land analogs.
Planning the project required over a year of coordinating logistical efforts, securing funding, and assembling a specialized team. To qualify as aquanauts, the crew had to remain submerged for at least 24 hours in a state of saturation, forcing their bodies to adapt to high atmospheric pressures while living and breathing underwater. This saturation period mirrors the physiological adjustments astronauts must undergo in microgravity environments on the International Space Station.
Aquanauts Operate Jules’ Undersea Lab
The Jules’ Undersea Lab sits 6.7 meters below the surface near Key Largo, requiring the crew to scuba dive simply to enter and exit the habitat. A land-based Mission Control Center monitored the underwater team throughout the deployment.
- Dr. Michaela Musilova served as Commander, overseeing crew wellbeing, maintaining crew cohesion, managing the mission schedule alongside Paul Bakken, and executing personal research and educational projects.
- Paul Bakken, an experimental engineer, acted as Executive Officer and managed the core logistics of the deployment.
- Dr. Brandy Nunez filled the role of Health and Safety Officer, monitoring crew health while conducting microgreens research.
- Jenn Pint participated as Mission Specialist and industrial safety expert, leading a collaborative project with Interstellar Performance Labs to develop a taxonomy for analyzing environmental and crew interaction factors in space analog settings.
Crew Conducts Spacewalks on the Seafloor
Days were divided between scientific experiments—ranging from cognitive testing under pressure to evaluating environmental student sensors—and underwater “spacewalks.” Utilizing neutral buoyancy during these simulated Extravehicular Activities, the aquanauts practiced hardware maintenance tasks similar to those performed by astronauts outside the International Space Station.
The risks of something going wrong during a simulated spacewalk or even during basic maintenance activities underwater are significantly higher than during standard analog missions on land.
Dr. Michaela Musilova, SEA STAR Commander
The high-pressure environment also provided researchers with data on how isolation and confinement impact group dynamics and cognitive load. By facing potential operational hurdles—such as gear malfunctions or shifting schedules—the crew relied on cross-disciplinary problem-solving and rigorous preparation to maintain safety throughout the saturation period. Dr. Michaela Musilova has commanded nearly 40 simulated space missions on land around the world.
