After Aditya and Chandrayaan, now India aims to scale depth of oceans with Samudrayaan
Project Samudrayaan. As per a TOI report, this ambitious project aims to plunge three individuals 6,000 meters beneath the ocean's surface in a homegrown submersible, all in the pursuit of precious metals and minerals, notably cobalt, nickel, and manganese.
Dubbed «Matsya 6000,» this submersible has been in development for nearly two years and is now primed for its inaugural sea trials, slated to unfold in early 2024 off the Chennai coast in the Bay of Bengal.
This endeavor, however, carries added significance following the unfortunate implosion of the Titan submersible during a voyage to the Titanic wreckage in the North Atlantic Ocean in June 2023.
Scientists hailing from the National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT) have meticulously scrutinized every facet of Matsya 6000, encompassing its design, materials, testing, certification, redundancy measures, and standard operating protocols.
M Ravichandran, the secretary of the Ministry of Earth Sciences, told TOI, «Samudrayaan mission is underway as part of the Deep Ocean Mission. We will be conducting sea trials at 500 meters depth in the first quarter of 2024.» The realization of this mission is anticipated by 2026, positioning India among the exclusive club of nations with manned submersible capabilities, including the US, Russia, Japan, France, and China.
Beyond the quest for nickel, cobalt, manganese, hydrothermal sulphides, and gas hydrates, Matsya 6000 is poised to delve into the enigmatic realm of chemosynthetic biodiversity within hydrothermal vents and the frigid depths where methane seeps emerge.
G A Ramadass, the director of NIOT, revealed a critical facet of Matsya 6000's design: a 2.1-meter diameter sphere capable of accommodating three occupants.
