How astronauts train for zero gravity

In order to become an astronaut you have to go through some incredibly rigorous training, and part of that occurs in the Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory, where astronauts can get a feel for zero gravity before they rocket up into space. Neutral buoyancy refers to something that has an equal tendency to float as it does to sink, making objects that are neutrally buoyant seem to hover under the water.

While neutral buoyancy is not exactly like what the astronauts will experience in space, it’s the best method for Extra-vehicular activity, or EVA training that we currently have available. EVA refers to activities the astronauts will have to perform actually in space; as in, outside of their spacecraft floating around with the stars. The biggest downside to this method of training is the drag the water places on the astronauts, which is not something they will experience in space.

Thanks to the exclusive access Electronic Products editors were granted as part of Littelfuse’s Speed2Design group touring the Johnson Space Center, we can share with you some shots of what the Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory looks like:

 
 NBL Training

Yes, the NBL is essentially a giant pool. The water allows astronauts in training to perform simulated EVA tasks in order to prepare for upcoming missions. In the video below taken by our on-site EP writers, you can see a group of trainees completing a simulated task: