Scheduled to be launched early next year, Vanguard will be the world’s first new subsea habitat in nearly four decades and will be home to researchers later on, Mark Harris writes. Its target location: Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, where it will serve as a base for scientists with bunks and even amenities like a microwave and crockery. One key difference between the subsea habit and perhaps a dorm room, aside from the crushing sea outside, is pressurization. Vanguard’s air pressure is designed to match the depth of the water around it, thereby making it less risky for divers coming down with decompression sickness when entering. With that, they can make multiple trips a day for exploration and discovery. Find out more about this fascinating station by following Mark Harris on their written journey.
Photo: NASA Analogs via Wikimedia Commons
