A Proper Frame of Reference ...

An excellent piece in Endgadget details how astronauts can take notes from nuclear subs in terms of how crews deal with an extremely dangerous environment with many similarities to space save that of vistas and the vast differentials of pressure.

As hostile an environment as Antarctica is, the icy continent still has one thing that the Moon and Mars doesn’t, and that’s air. When we go into space, we need to bring along air, or otherwise make it—not only for breathing but also for pressurizing the space suits. That’s the added challenge of living off of the Earth.

Yet there is one place on Earth that’s exactly like deep space. This is an unworldly environment of complete darkness, low temperatures, abnormal environmental pressure, no natural supply of breathable oxygen, cramped quarters, and chilling isolation, with limited ability to contact any other humans—a place where you and your crewmates need to generate your own electricity to power your lights and machines; to produce air to breath and water to drink; and to maintain the integrity of your food supply. The environment I refer to is deep in the Earth’s oceans, on a nuclear submarine.

Life on a nuclear submarine provides the closest example we have of what living would be like on a moon, another planet, or a space voyage. Occupants of a nuclear submarine are in a constant life-and-death struggle with the hostile environment that surrounds them. No hyperbole here. It’s a harrowing, nerve-wracking existence. Any number of mishaps—fire, lost pressure, a vessel leak, a gas leak—could spell death for the entire crew. Calamity a mile under the sea is as treacherous as calamity millions of miles in deep space.

Read Christopher Wanjeek's piece in its entirety as it's interesting to a fault.

As an aside, I know a submarine and what Wanjeck writes rings true.