The paper, UHAB-1: Physiological responses to a 48-hour spaceflight analog mission underwater, presents the first scientific findings from the UHAB underwater habitat mission, during which Sebastian, our Co-Founder, tested the habitat at a depth of 7 meters in Copenhagen Harbour for 48 hours. Based on the mission, MIT scientists explored how the human body responds in a confined, isolated, and operationally demanding environment designed to simulate a spaceflight.

The results showed that all major physiological parameters remained within clinically normal ranges throughout the mission, supporting the feasibility of short-duration underwater habitation as a spaceflight analog. At the same time, the study identified one significant design challenge: persistently elevated CO₂ levels within the habitat, which coincided with increases in heart and respiratory rates. These findings underline the importance of stronger ventilation, improved air mixing, and future CO₂ scrubbing systems in next-generation habitats.

This first publication establishes UHAB-1 as a research platform for studying human adaptation in extreme environments and marks an important step toward more advanced underwater missions.

UHAB-3

The research on UHAB-1 is part of a broader research and habitat development ambitions that continue with UHAB-3, the next planned habitat iteration of underwater habitats. Designed as a fully operational underwater habitat for a crew of four, UHAB-3 will feature a 20 m² interior and is intended for deployment at a depth of 30 metres. With applications in both astronaut training and marine science, the project builds on ongoing research on how people could live and work effectively in isolated and extreme conditions.

More to come

This is the first of three research papers by MIT on UHAB-1, and we look forward to sharing the next publications as they are released. Together, they will help document the lessons learned from the mission and support the development of future habitats for life and work in extreme environments.

Find the press kit for UHAB here.

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