NASA ‘builds’ the Moon in a giant pool

NASA is transforming the 23.5 million liter Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory (NBL) pool into a Moon-like environment for astronaut training.

The astronauts dive 12 m deep under the swimming pool of Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory (NBL) at NASA’s Sonny Carter Training Center in Texas to experiment moon gravity simulated 1/6 of the force of gravity on Earth, using flotation devices and heavy objects, Futurism April 19 was reported. The pool holds approximately 23.5 million liters of water and measures 61.5m x 31m.

A test of the simulated lunar environment at the NBL.

A test of the simulated lunar environment at the NBL. (Photo: NASA)

NASA is working to improve the swimming pool environment, making astronauts feel like they are actually working on the Moon. Experts use pebbles, sand, even taking into account the movement of the Sun.

“We add sand to simulate the topsoil of the Moon”, Lay Tomlinson, program manager at V2X, the company that signed a contract to build a replica of the Moon, said. According to Tomlinson, astronauts can experience the sensation of walking on the moon when walking through a simulated environment.

This effort lays the foundation for a historic mission. On NASA’s Artemis III mission, scheduled for the turn of the century, astronauts will once again walk on the moon more than 50 years after the last time humans set foot there.

Before, NBL.pool used to train astronauts for long-term living and working on the International Space Station (ISS). The facility also helps personnel train for the Orion spacecraft recovery process. The ship successfully landed in the Pacific Ocean after completing the Artemis I mission in December 2022.

NASA also plans to use the NBL to train astronauts, the space station that will serve as a springboard for astronauts en route to the lunar surface in the future. As more and more companies enter the space sector, V2X also intends to provide simulated underwater environments to more private companies.

Article source: VnExpress