Into the Unknown: How Similar Is Deep Sea and Space Exploration?

From immense pressure to limited supplies, learn more about the similarities between deep sea and space exploration and what risks they pose to explorers.

By Sara Novak
Mar 10, 2025 2:00 PMMar 13, 2025 3:51 PM
Spaceship lifting off to explore the cosmos
(Image Credit: Alones/Shutterstock)

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Both the deep sea and space are difficult to reach and even more difficult to explore. You can’t breathe the air, temperatures are extreme, gravity varies, and atmospheric pressure makes survival impossible without protective vehicles. It’s part of the reason that these remote terrains are largely left unexplored. Only a minuscule portion of the universe and 5 percent of the ocean floor have been visited.

Both deep sea travel and deep space travel come with a lot of risks and a lot of preparation, but when it comes to the nitty gritty, how similar are these two remote worlds?  

Requirements for Deep Sea and Space Travel 

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