NEEMO 23 crew members test out a prototype of the LESA device. (Credit: ESA/NASA)

This week, astronauts and scientists are venturing under the sea as part of NEEMO-23, the 23rd expedition of the NASA’s Extreme Environment Mission Operations. NEEMO sends specialists to Aquarius, an underwater research station located 3.5 miles off the coast of Key Largo in Florida, and 62 feet under the surface.

Thanks to the buoyancy of seawater and the sandy seafloor,
the area around Aquarius is a prett