[PSUBS-MAILIST] Maybe Someday?

Hmmm, everyone must have already turned in for the night. Anyways, I have been loosely keeping up with what's been going on with the Mars Society's Devon Island research station in the high artic. For those of you who don't know, they are conducting research in a simulated habitat to gather information of what it would be like to live on Mars. What does this have to do with home built subs? Creating, maintaining and living in artificial environments and atmospheres, sort of go hand and hand with subs but even further with underwater habitats. I know there has been a little discussion on habitats but from what I've seen, It's just been stating that they are enormously expensive subs that don't go anywhere.

With that said, I jump into my next question. Why isn't more effort by governments or whomever, spent researching the possibilities of mans existence in the sea. Is it considered that Cousteau proved and discovered everything there was to prove and discover with the Conshelf project? Sort of a "been there, done that" attitude. It would seem more logical that if "we" were to set off colonizing something other than earth, that the next step would be the sea and not some distant planet. Is there a possibility that something, equivalent to the Mars Society, could be assembled, focusing on under sea efforts? The only habitat that I know of is the Aquarius, which is a small ambient pressure, scientific habitat. It operates ten day saturation missions in the Florida Keys. I know these are grossly expensive projects but if you look at The Mars Society's list of sponsors, it seems that they have found some grossly deep pockets as well. Speaking of sponsors, check out Pioneer Astronautics www.pioneerastro.com . They are the company dealing with some of the environmental concerns of the Mars habitat. Their "Nitrous Oxide Based Oxygen Supply System" seems like it could have a very practical application in a submarine, diving suit or habitat.

Well, I can see it now. We'd all be cruising to the store in double "deep workers", going out to the under sea park in an "Exo Suit" and commuting to work in a "K-boat". Maybe on weekends we could all meet at the under sea "Sonic" to show of our latest custom subs, with Pat reigning supreme with the "Nautilus". Oh yea, and Phil could be the Henry Ford of the sea!