On Board Atlantis II

Mission Control

Atlantis II's Mission Control area takes advantage of the most advanced in computer technology. With the processing horsepower of eight 2 gigahertz supercomputers along with a server capable of parsing over a million different communications into its data log simultaneously, the station can easily handle all the requirements the research laboratories could want.

In order to operate the station, 1 person is at each of the 4 workstations in Mission Control making sure everything from oxygen flow to heating is working properly.

Biology Lab

Geology Lab

The Geology Lab will use many techniques to study the geology of the hydrothermal vents including temperature, pH, salinity, light intensity, fluorometer, pressure, and chemical identity sensors. In addition, the geology lab will coordinate core samples and fluorescin dye.

Operations Related Storage

Operations related storage includes many things such as equipment for the lab, backup parts for the computers, robots, and vehicles, and all other things that are necessary for operating the habitat.

Although not glamorous, the operations storage is a vital part of maintaining day to day life on board the station.

Remote Operations Control Room

The Remote Operations Control Room is one of the most interesting areas on the station. This is where all the external robots are operated from and is where a great deal of incredibly useful information is gathered. The robotics technicians will actually operate the robots while the scientists guide the experiments.

External Docking Sphere

The external docking system is incorporated into the sphere diametrically opposite the internal docking sphere. It's slightly smaller since it doesn't need to accommodate vehicles; it is instead designed for the standard 2.1 m clearance used throughout the Atlantis II. The system is considered an external system because the docked vehicle remains outside the habitat. The advantages of such a system is that the docked vehicle can be quite large, the docking mechanism takes up a smaller volume, and the docking process is much faster. The external docking system is reserved for docking with the LEEAMITe (Transportation vehicle) and the EVE (Manned Operations vehicle). To accommodate both vehicles at once, there are two docking points on the sphere, one on the side (LEEAMITe's) and one on the bottom (EVE's). Each point is a 0.5 m diameter hatch sunk 30 cm into the hull of the sphere, create a cylindrical hole 0.6 m in diameter and 30 cm deep. There is also a small protrusion around the docking point about 25 cm into hole and a pair of small water inlet valves, one set in the center of the hatch and another in the hull. The matching mechanism on the two vehicles is a cylinder approximately 30 cm long and just slightly thinner than the hole in the docking sphere.

External Docking Support

This is where repairs are done on vehicles, equipment for vehicles is stored, and where people gather to board the vehicles.

Internal Docking Sphere

The internal docking system is basically an airlock; by pressurizing and depressurizing the contents of the docking sphere, it allows the contents to switch between the 300 atmosphere pressure outside the habitat and the 1 atmosphere pressure inside the habitat.

The sphere is pressurized by slowly bleeding water from the outside into the sphere over space of thirty minutes. Once the sphere is completely filled with water, the outside door can then be opened, allowing access to the outside. The sphere is depressurized by using a set of high powered pumps built into the base of the sphere to suck out the water at the same time as air from inside the habitat is bled into the top of the sphere. It takes approximately 2 hours for the pumps to remove all of the water. At this point the internal door can be opened, allowing access to the habitat.

Internal Docking Support

The internal docking system is used in the larger of the two docking spheres. The system is called an internal system because it allows the entire vehicle to enter the habitat. This feature is useful to the robotics equipment because it allows technicians to modify, repair, and upgrade a piece of equipment on site rather than taking it all the way back to land. The internal docking system is also useful because it allows samples to be brought inside the Atlantis II for study by the scientists on board. The 4 m diameter sphere and 2.5 m diameter door are designed to accomodate the larger ROV's used and still have enough room for equipment to remove the robot from the sphere.

Bunk Beds

The Bunk Beds are where the crew sleeps in shifts throughout the night and day.

Kitchen/Food Storage Area

The Kitchens on Atlantis II are very well equipped, boasting a high-efficiency electric range made of a ceramic and fire-retardant material for the stove top. Because of the close quarters, fuel storage, and other concerns, the range is located far from any potential source of flammable material, as a fire on the station would be especially dangerous.

The food on the station is stored in several refrigerators with the majority of the fresh food being fruits and vegetables. There is a small quantity of meat, but in order to maintain nutritional standards, there will also be a great deal of tofu and other non-meat protein sources. For dinner each night, the crew will typically have rice, an excellent source of carbohydrates, a vegetable saute', an excellent source of many vitamins and minerals, with the saute' including either broccoli, spinach, tofu, or meat in order to satisfy protein and calcium needs. Fresh water for drinking is stored in several large tanks and comes out of a high-yield, low-waste faucet. Dishes are washed by a water-economical, energy efficient dishwasher.

Power/Life Support Storage Area

On Atlantis II, it is absolutely vital that there be sufficient backup power and life support that in case of an emergency the crew will be able to reach the surface. The extensive backup power array consists of enough battery power for a week without the main generators operating, with enough power to operate emergency lights, communication, and life support for that time. In addition, in the case of CO2 scrubber failure, there is enough backup air for a week as well. This safety feature greatly increases the likelihood that anyone stuck in the station will be able to survive long enough to get to a vehicle and reach the surface.

Showers/Washroom

A very vital part of morale, the showers and washroom are where the crew can maintain their cleanliness. The toilets and showers are low water usage as to conserve the fresh water supply. Each shower is timed to last 5 minutes also to conserve water.