Mission Journal 27 — Clayton Anderson: Day 12: Friday, June 27th, 2003
Well, I’m back in my bunk again…yeah, yeah, ask my wife and she’ll tell you I love to get my “beauty sleep (and of course, you realize it’s not helping much!).” It’s been really difficult trying to decide what to write about today. Not because the day wasn’t filled with activity; it was. The difficulty comes with the reality that today was our last time to dive and our adventure is fast drawing to a close.
Our final dive was grand…beginning before dawn we ventured out onto Conch Reef to view the deep with the rise of the sun. The creatures were magnificent, as always. Multiple sting rays, our friends the nurse sharks and several of their friends. That was topped off with a visit from some sea turtles, the first that I had seen the entire 14 days. All were stirring with the beginning of a new day and obviously ravenous appetites (so I kept my distance!).
As our 3 hour dive limit neared, and our compressed air tanks continued to deplete, my crewmates and I took some time to just cruise around the outside of the habitat. One last look at our home for the past 14 days. We hopped up onto the “deck grate”, near the wet porch and performed numerous “Stupid Aquanaut Tricks,” including synchronized diving, leap frog and other “…escapades into frivolity.” It was a blast and most of it was captured on video, thanks to our hab tech and “Hookah King” Ryan (that’s a whole different story!). The only good part about the conclusion of our final dive was the realization that we didn’t have to put on our nasty smelling dive gear any more!
In retrospect, this has been a fantastic experience. First and foremost it has given me a clearer appreciation for what I might expect on my first flight into outer space. I have new-found respect for the need to “stay on your timeline” and not get behind; a respect that is sometimes hard to “sense” in simulations back in Houston. I understand more keenly the teamwork involved in executing a fully successful mission…one that achieves all of its mission objectives. I am also more aware of the required cooperation, tolerance and patience that must exist in crewmates in order to live in confined spaces for extended periods. I more fully appreciate how humor and laughter can go a long way to smooth over stressful or disappointing situations. However, most of all, I have a better understanding of who I am and how I will be expected to perform on a demanding shuttle or space station mission.
I don’t know what the future holds for me as an astronaut. I can only hope that we will return to flight very soon and that my name will be called one day. But for now, my future is Sunday.