Building the world's biggest and deepest swimming pool… for science!

The Blue Abyss is a deep sea and space research training facility that will be constructed near the Cornwall Airport Newquay in England. Holding nearly 1.5 million cubic feet of water, the Blue Abyss will be the world's largest and deepest swimming pool of its kind. Unfortunately, it's unlikely most of us will have a chance to take a dip. It's designed for astronaut and deep sea driver training, testing underwater robots, and other experiments. From Space.com:

The company didn't say whether it has already raised the entire sum of £150 million ($213 million) required for the construction of the center, which will also feature hypobaric and hyperbaric chambers simulating the effects of high and low pressure, as well as a microgravity suite, a training center with classrooms and on-site accommodation facilities[…]

The center will have a sliding roof through which a 33-ton (30 metric tonne) crane will lower large objects into the pool. These objects might include mock-ups of components of the International Space Station, as well as underwater film sets or mock-up cave systems for testing of remotely operated submarines. 

The pool's temperature, lighting and salinity will be adjustable to simulate different conditions, including different currents at varied depths.