Conshelf was Cousteau’s (successful) attempt in seeing if humans could live under the sea for a long period of time. This would greatly advance research. Eventually, he found out that humans possess the capabilities to do so but they were ultimately not made to exist in a world without sun.
Conshelf I (1962) is a steel cylinder that was 5m long and 2.5m wide. It housed 2 inhabitants for a week. It was decently furnished, with a television, radio, library and bed. The 2 “oceanauts” worked for 4/5 hours everyday, studying animals and building an underwater farm.
Conshelf II (1963) was a small village built on the floor of the Red Sea which was 10m deep. There was a main house (the “Starfish”), an aquarium, a garage, an equipment hanger and a deep station that was 15m further down. It housed 5 oceanauts for 1 month.
Conshelf III (1965) could go 100m below the ocean and housed 6 oceanauts for 3 weeks.