The human spaceflight industry has used neutral buoyancy underwater testing for years to simulate and practice mission critical tasks.
This testing capability is now commercially available at NASA’s Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory (NBL) near Houston.
An Oceaneering Millennium Plus® Work Class ROV has been installed at the facility for these commercial testing operations.
Testing procedures and pre-deployment verification can benefit subsea installation or intervention projects through increased safety, efficiency and reliability with an opportunity to lower overall costs. Underwater System Integration Tests (SITs) and Factory Acceptance Tests (FATs) can be conducted in a controlled pool environment, while ROV operations rehearsals are also possible using simulated animations.
Press Release, October 17, 2013