On December 17, 2024, the Portuguese Space Agency, the European Space Agency (ESA), and the Portuguese Navy announced a scientific partnership to utilize submarines in missions simulating space exploration conditions. This initiative aims to prepare for long-duration missions beyond low Earth orbit, including trips to the Moon and Mars.
The collaboration will employ Portuguese Navy submarines and crews as high-fidelity analogs of isolation and confinement, replicating the challenges faced in space missions.
For over two decades, ESA and its international partners have utilized the International Space Station (ISS) to study the effects of the space environment on human health. Astronauts on the ISS encounter extreme conditions such as microgravity, space radiation, and confined living spaces, which challenge both physical and psychological well-being.
However, due to ISS resource limitations and the complexity of space activities, ESA is complementing this research with Earth-based studies that simulate space conditions. These environments, known as analogs, allow for the exploration of spaceflight effects on astronaut health and the testing of technologies and strategies beneficial for both space missions and life on Earth.
The first scientific mission under the Isolation Standard Measures for ESA Submarine Missions (SubSea ISM) program is currently underway, with an estimated duration of 60 days. The submarines are designed to recreate conditions similar to those of space missions, including isolation, confined environments, and operational challenges, making them ideal for studying the effects of these conditions on crews and developing coping strategies.
These studies are crucial for testing new techniques and technologies, as well as collecting data that will contribute to the success of future human space missions. The findings will also be relevant for extreme environments such as polar bases, military missions, clinical conditions (e.g., depression, sleep disorders, and seasonal affective disorder), extended expeditions, and mining operations.
Portugal already has several terrestrial analog sites, including the Capelinhos Volcano and Barreiro da Faneca in the Azores, as well as the Selvagens Islands in Madeira.