posted 01-06-2007 05:40 PM
I'll add a few comments and historical notes here, since no one else has 
First, I was not very impressed with the 'fluff' presentation of the "Wired News" show- but I understand it's tough to do a science news program understandable to the general public where you only have about ten minuites to devote to a topic, in contrast to the hour that shows like "NOVA" have.
Still, I think they could have elaborated on specific analogs (they sure used that word a lot) between living underwater and living in space.
For any divers among us who have used an AGA mask, I did get a chuckle from the reporter's comment that this is a device 'sure to revolutionize drowning,' LOL, but of course the alternative is to go up a few thousand bucks to a Kirby-Morgan.
Several times they stated that the Aquarius is the only underwater (living) habitat in the world- and that's not true. There are two more privately-owned habitats functioning within about 15 miles of Aquarius, though they are in a deep lagoon rather than the open ocean. "Jules Undersea Lodge" is the 'underwater hotel' where any certified diver can spend a night underwater for a few hundred bucks, and nearby is "MarineLab," a small 3-man habitat used for educational training programs. Before Aquarius was moved to the Keys from the Virgin Islands, NASA did lease time on both Jules and Marinelab for several studies (in which I was involved.)
MarineLab went into operation about 1984, Jules in 1986, Aquarius about 1990. Since then two other small habitats have been built, used and mothballed- the Scott Carpenter Station by NASA Life Sciences in 1997, and BayLab by a private organization on the Chesapeake in 2000.
[Edited by SpaceCat (January 06, 2007).]
[Edited by SpaceCat (January 06, 2007).]
posted 01-03-2007 11:14 AM
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