WIKIARCHIVES.SPACE

Astronaut Robert L. Curbeam, Jr., is assisted by Robert (Nick) Barnett (out of frame at left) prior to an underwater training session in the Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory (NBL) at the Sonny Carter Training Center near the Johnson Space Center (JSC). The training took place prior to Curbeam's assignment as a mission specialist on the STS-98 mission. Attired in pressurized and specially-weighted (for neutral buoyancy) training versions of the extravehicular mobility unit (EMU), astronauts frequently use the giant pool to rehearse both scheduled and contingency space walks.