Updates From Sea | Cruise 2007
January 26th
By Eric Simms, Education Outreach Coordinator
Dial "E" for Extreme Environments
"Alvin, this is the International Space Station Alpha, how do you hear us? Over." These words started one of the farthest-reaching long-distance phone calls in history this afternoon when astronaut Sunita "Suni" Williams initiated a phone conversation with oceanographer Tim Shank. That may not sound remarkable - except that Suni was over 200 miles above Earth in the International Space Station while Tim was nearly two miles beneath the ocean's surface in the Alvin research submersible.
Scientists and crew listening to the call in the ship's computer lab. Photo © E. Simms
Here aboard the R/V Atlantis people gathered in small groups around computers to listen to the call as it was broadcast over the Internet. Many of us on board have had the privilege of diving in Alvin at least once, and were excited to share a little part of that experience with others through Tim's conversation from the 'inner space' of the deep sea. We were also excited to learn a little bit more about what life and work are like in the extreme environment of 'outer space'.
Just what do an astronaut and an oceanographer talk about? Well, conducting science in extreme environments was one topic. Tim shared how we are out here exploring the dynamic hydrothermal vents and "alien" organisms in the deep sea, while Suni shared that the astronauts are studying how the human body copes with living beyond the gravity and protective atmosphere of Earth.
Chief Scientist Tim Shank standing in front of Alvin. Photo © E. Simms
Both explorers also shared how exploring life in extreme environments differs from a typical day on the Earth's surface. Suni sees the sun rise fifteen times a day as the Space Station hurtles around the Earth, and has to learn to adjust her sleep accordingly. Tim also has to adjust his sleep when on a cruise. After spending up to eight hours inside the titanium sphere of the sub, he often spend another ten or twelve hours making sure that the round-the-clock research operations on the ship are running smoothly. And as much as each of them loves their job, they both said they would like to be in the other's shoes for a while to experience and explore a different extreme environment. What would be your choice of an extreme adventure?
For at least twenty minutes today the distance between inner space and outer space became a little shorter. In the future, that distance will hopefully continue to shrink as earth and space scientists continue to work together to share their knowledge and technologies to explore extreme environments.
To listen to a recorded broadcast of the conversation between Tim and Suni, click here for instructions!
And here's a link to an article in ScienceNOW Daily News by Christina Reed about the historic call:"Houston, We Have a Phone Call".
