Jiaolong set for deepest mission
By Li Xinran |
July 22, 2011, Friday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
CHINA'S deep-sea submersible, Jiaolong, reached a depth of 4,027.31 meters in a warm-up dive in the northeast Pacific Ocean yesterday in preparation for today's 5,000-meter challenge.
The vehicle returned to its mother ship, Xiangyanghong No. 9, after a five-hour test run, during which it surpassed its deepest dive of 3,759 meters set last year. The three-man crew sent back photos they took during yesterday's dive.
The 8.2-meter-long vessel, mainly made of titanium, is due to carry out four missions including today's 5,000-meter dive.
Jiaolong began its a journey to the dive site between southeastern Haiwaii and North America on July 1.
It will take photos, shoot video, survey the seabed and take samples from the ocean floor under a contract signed between the China Ocean Mineral Resources Research and Development Association and the International Seabed Authority.
Jiaolong completed 17 dives in the South China Sea between May 31 and July 18 last year. It is designed to reach depth of 7,000 meters and is now the world's deepest-diving manned submersible. China is one of just five nations with manned submersibles that can dive below 6,000 meters, joining the United States, Russia, France and Japan.
The world record dive by a manned submersible was set by the now retired US Navy's Trieste in the Mariana Trench when it reached 10,916 meters below the surface in 1960.
The vehicle returned to its mother ship, Xiangyanghong No. 9, after a five-hour test run, during which it surpassed its deepest dive of 3,759 meters set last year. The three-man crew sent back photos they took during yesterday's dive.
The 8.2-meter-long vessel, mainly made of titanium, is due to carry out four missions including today's 5,000-meter dive.
Jiaolong began its a journey to the dive site between southeastern Haiwaii and North America on July 1.
It will take photos, shoot video, survey the seabed and take samples from the ocean floor under a contract signed between the China Ocean Mineral Resources Research and Development Association and the International Seabed Authority.
Jiaolong completed 17 dives in the South China Sea between May 31 and July 18 last year. It is designed to reach depth of 7,000 meters and is now the world's deepest-diving manned submersible. China is one of just five nations with manned submersibles that can dive below 6,000 meters, joining the United States, Russia, France and Japan.
The world record dive by a manned submersible was set by the now retired US Navy's Trieste in the Mariana Trench when it reached 10,916 meters below the surface in 1960.
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
- |
- 互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
- |
- 网络视听许可证：0909346
- |
- 广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
- |
- 增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012
Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
