Two Indian aquanauts dived to depths of 4,025 meters and 5,002 meters in the Atlantic Ocean, placing India among a select group of nations capable of such deep-sea exploration.
- The dives, conducted aboard the French submersible Nautile in collaboration with IFREMER, France’s marine research institute, were led by team from National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT), Chennai.
- The dive is a prelude to India’s Samudrayaan Mission, part of flagship Deep Ocean Mission.
- Samudrayaan aims to send three aquanauts to a depth of 6,000 meters in the indigenously developed submersible MATSYA-6000 by 2027.
- MATSYA-6000—a first-of-its-kind, fourth-generation scientific submersible—is designed for an operational endurance of 12 hours and an emergency endurance of up to 96 hours.
- Samudrayaan aims to send three aquanauts to a depth of 6,000 meters in the indigenously developed submersible MATSYA-6000 by 2027.
About Deep Ocean Mission
- Launched: As a Mission mode project in 2021 by Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES).
- Purpose: To develop technologies for exploring deep ocean resources, promoting sustainable Blue Economy, and addressing climate change and pollution.
- Budget and Timeline: Estimated budget of Rs.4077 crore, to be implemented over 5 years (2021-2026).
Recently, Prime Minister also announced the launch of the National Deepwater Exploration Mission to explore oil and gas reserves in the sea.
