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NBL Facilities

NASA's Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory (NBL) is home to a massive, 6.2 million-gallon training pool and related testing technologies, providing full oversight in a controlled, secure environment.

Skybox-style control rooms overlook the pool to provide direct and indirect monitoring, communications, data connectivity, and control capabilities. A closed-circuit video system provides high-definition video and still photography of subsurface and surface locations. Real-time, password-protected streaming is also available.

The NBL supports various testing and astronaut training activities.

Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory (NBL)

Astronaut Training

Providing a safe environment that enables astronauts to train, execute project activities pre-space flight, and interact with a mock International Space Station set-up.

Available Services and Equipment

  • Onsite hyperbaric chambers
  • High-bay–accessible outdoor secured storage and staging areas
  • Facility-level uninterruptable power supply, compressed air, and chilled water
  • Conference and meeting rooms
  • Two 20.5-ton overhead cranes
  • Fully secured 24/7, ensuring guard-gate–controlled access to the grounds and badge-controlled access within the facility
  • Four 1.6-ton jib cranes
  • Additional security options for proprietary projects
  • Two Davit cranes
  • Lifting equipment (tow tug, Lift-A-Loft, scissor jack, and forklifts)

Facility Specifications

Pool: 40.5 ft deep × 202 ft long × 102 ft wide
High bay: 80 ft tall, 72,000 ft²

High-Definition Animations

We use state-of-the-art video equipment and software to produce animations and visualizations that accurately show proposed operations. By clearly visualizing objectives and operational scenario animations, we enable sharing and review of concepts and plans before committing to the development of actual hardware and procedures.

Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory | 13000 Space Center Blvd. | Houston, TX | 77059

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