While scuba diving and space exploration seem like worlds apart, they share more similarities than you’d expect. In fact, one of the world’s largest indoor pools is housed in NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas. Known as the Neutral Buoyancy Lab (NBL), this facility is designed to prepare astronauts for spacewalks since water closely mimics the weightlessness experienced in space. Divers are also present in the lab to ensure the astronauts’ safety during their training.  

For an aerospace engineering student and scuba diver like Brady McKenna ’25, NASA’s buoyancy lab is the perfect place to combine his interests. While studying abroad in Australia, he became a certified diver and later discovered how he could merge his engineering education with his love for deep-sea diving.  

“I love scuba diving, and I love engineering. I’d be pairing a lot of my interests,” says McKenna. “Being able to draw on that moving forward in my career would be incredible.”  

After securing an internship with NASA in the summer of 2024, McKenna came across the buoyancy lab, where he would earn an advanced scuba diving certification. He also learned about the work of engineers who design equipment for test runs with astronauts in the lab. These engineers dive into the pool to observe the equipment and receive direct feedback from astronauts about improvements. 

“It sounded awesome to me because you never get to do that in engineering. You never get to design it, see it used, get direct feedback, see it in the field and go back to improve it,” says McKenna. “That would be a cool avenue to explore.”  

In addition to becoming a certified diver, McKenna learned about cryogenic systems, vacuum chambers, and pressure vessels. He visited the Mission Control Center, the Space Vehicle Mockup Facility, spacesuit labs and saw the latest space technologies that are in development. He also improved his presentation and communication skills through meetings with leadership.  

“It was great interacting with people and different commercial space vendors. I got a real feel for what’s going on in the space industry,” he says.  

McKenna has gained valuable experience in building and designing through his senior design capstone. This project is a collaboration with NASA, made possible through his internship experience with the agency. His team is developing a Chamber D test stand that will be used to test spacesuit components such as gloves and boots. McKenna and his teammates were also able to visit the space center, where they gained insights from engineers across various disciplines and industry experts.  

His involvement with the NASA-sponsored capstone has also led him to consider starting his own company. “Capstones are a great way for students to get hands-on experience they may not otherwise get in the classroom,” he says. “I would love to help connect companies with colleges for company-sponsored capstones.”  

McKenna will be returning to the Johnson Space Center in the summer of 2025 to continue working with the EC Crew and Thermal Systems Division, focusing on cryogenics and space suit testing technologies. He also plans to obtain his rescue diver certification in the buoyancy lab. After the summer, he will return to Australia to pursue a dive master certification to become a dive guide. 

“Working with NASA has been a dream come true. I never imagined I’d get to that level as an undergraduate,” says McKenna. “To have the opportunity to go to the Johnson Space Center and see the things I saw was incredible and I’m grateful for the experience.”