India operates its first human underwater submersible at a depth of 500 metres in the sea as part of the Deep Ocean Mission on 23 January 2025. India is planning to reach at a depth of 6,000 meters by the next year. It was announced in the second meeting of the Mission Steering Committee at Prithvi Bhawan, New Delhi.
Objectives of Deep Ocean Mission
The Deep Ocean Mission aims to explore underwater resources, improve knowledge of deep-sea ecosystems, and advance India’s blue economy.
The mission’s objectives include identifying critical minerals, rare metals, and undiscovered marine biodiversity, which have economic and environmental implications. It will also contribute to sustainable fisheries and biodiversity conservation, providing long-term benefits to India’s scientific community and economy.
“Deep Ocean Mission” is of groundbreaking nature as it positions India among a select group of six nations with the technological prowess to explore deep oceans.
Deep Ocean Mission and Facts
American zoologist William Beebe and the American engineer Otis Barton built a vessel named Bathysphere in 1930. It was meant for undersea observation. On June 11, 1930 it reached to a depth of 400 meters.
The vessel was spherical in shape and made up of steel. It was dropped into ocean from a boat with the help of cable. It paved the way for remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) and reduced the risk of breaking of cable and fatal accident.
In 1934 Beebe and Barton reached 900 metres, or about 3,000 feet. Through these dives, the bathysphere proved its qualities but also revealed weaknesses.
Mesoscaphe a deep-diving submersible vessel was launched in 1964. It was designed by Swiss engineer Auguste Piccard and his son Jacques Piccard. On 14 September 1964 Mesoscaphe explored Lake Geneva and reached to the depth of 200 meters. It has cigar-shaped hull which helped it to dive and maneuver in water. Its pressure hull helped it to resist extreme pressure under the water.
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