Photos: Inside Johnson Space Center's Neutral Buoyancy Lab

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Neutral Buoyancy Lab

TechRepublic visited the Neutral Buoyancy Lab at the Johnson Space Center where astronauts train for spacewalks.
This giant pool is an important piece of training for astronauts who will be completing extra vehicular activities (EVAs), or spacewalks. The pool prepares them for working in a (mostly) weightless environment, as neutral buoyancy refers to the equal tendency to float or sink.
SEE: NASA shows the world its 20-year virtual reality experiment to train astronauts: The inside story

Image: Erin Carson/TechRepublic
Another view

NBL opened in 1995. When they initially started filling it, they turned on the water full blast and the city of Houston's water pressure dropped to 0, prompting a call to NASA as to what what going on.
SEE: NASA shows the world its 20-year virtual reality experiment to train astronauts: The inside story

Image: Erin Carson/TechRepublic
It's a big pool

The pool is about 100 x 200 x 40 ft and hold about 7 million gallons of water.
SEE: NASA shows the world its 20-year virtual reality experiment to train astronauts: The inside story

Image: Erin Carson/TechRepublic
The International Space Station

The pool has mock ups of parts of the International Space Station so that astronauts can practice their EVAs.
SEE: NASA shows the world its 20-year virtual reality experiment to train astronauts: The inside story

Image: Erin Carson/TechRepublic
Everybody in the pool

Each astronaut in the pool is accompanied by 4 divers. Since EVAs can take hours, those divers take shifts.
SEE: NASA shows the world its 20-year virtual reality experiment to train astronauts: The inside story

Image: Erin Carson/TechRepublic
Poolside humor

NBL has its own lifeguard chair. It is a pool, after all.
SEE: NASA shows the world its 20-year virtual reality experiment to train astronauts: The inside story

Image: Erin Carson/TechRepublic
Boogie board, anyone?

NBL's small collection of pool toys.
SEE: NASA shows the world its 20-year virtual reality experiment to train astronauts: The inside story

Image: Erin Carson/TechRepublic
An arm out of water

Here's the mockup of the robotic arm, and a camera, in a rare moment out of the pool.
SEE: NASA shows the world its 20-year virtual reality experiment to train astronauts: The inside story

Image: Erin Carson/TechRepublic
Minions or oxygen tanks?

NBL goes through a lot of oxygen tanks during training.
SEE: NASA shows the world its 20-year virtual reality experiment to train astronauts: The inside story

Image: Erin Carson/TechRepublic
Gear

NBL's also not short on its stock of diving gear.
SEE: NASA shows the world its 20-year virtual reality experiment to train astronauts: The inside story

Image: Erin Carson/TechRepublic
Art imitating training

In a few spots around the lab, you'll run into paintings depicting scenes from the pool.
SEE: NASA shows the world its 20-year virtual reality experiment to train astronauts: The inside story

Image: Erin Carson/TechRepublic
Outside of the pool

Training for spacewalks includes not just those who will be outside the International Space Station, but the crew monitoring and the crew operating the robotic arm. The pool has its own control room, shown here.
SEE: NASA shows the world its 20-year virtual reality experiment to train astronauts: The inside story

Image: Erin Carson/TechRepublic
Keep it cool

On display is the liquid cooling and ventilation garment worn underneath spacesuits. In total, it takes about 20 minutes to put on a spacesuit.
SEE: NASA shows the world its 20-year virtual reality experiment to train astronauts: The inside story

Image: Erin Carson/TechRepublic

Neutral Buoyancy Lab

TechRepublic visited the Neutral Buoyancy Lab at the Johnson Space Center where astronauts train for spacewalks.

This giant pool is an important piece of training for astronauts who will be completing extra vehicular activities (EVAs), or spacewalks. The pool prepares them for working in a (mostly) weightless environment, as neutral buoyancy refers to the equal tendency to float or sink.

SEE: NASA shows the world its 20-year virtual reality experiment to train astronauts: The inside story

Image: Erin Carson/TechRepublic

By Erin Carson

Erin Carson is a Staff Reporter for CNET and a former Multimedia Editor for TechRepublic.

Neutral Buoyancy Lab

Another view

It's a big pool

The International Space Station

Everybody in the pool

Poolside humor

Boogie board, anyone?

An arm out of water

Minions or oxygen tanks?

Gear

Art imitating training

Outside of the pool

Keep it cool

Neutral Buoyancy Lab

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