India has set its sights on it again, after successfully landing on the moon
According to a report on the website of the Indian weekly "One Week" on September 11th, after the success of the "Moon Ship", India has turned its attention to manned deep-sea exploration.
Indian Earth Science Minister Keelen Rigidju said on the 11th that in the first manned deep-sea mission "Seaship" operation, India plans to send three people to a depth of 6000 meters underwater for deep-sea resource research and biodiversity assessment. This minister inspected the manned submersible "Matthia 6000" being developed by the Chennai National Institute of Marine Technology.
"India's first manned deep-sea mission, the 'Seaboat', plans to allow three people to enter the ocean 6 kilometers deep in a submersible for deep-sea resource research and biodiversity assessment," Rijiju wrote on social media website X. He also said that the project will not disrupt the marine ecosystem.
Rijiju also shared several photos of the Matthia 6000 deep-sea submersible.
Although he did not mention when the mission would be carried out, there are reports that the first sea trial is expected to take place in January 2024.
"As part of the deep-sea mission, the 'Seaship' operation is currently underway. We will conduct sea trials at a depth of 500 meters in the first quarter of 2024," The Times of India quoted Earth Science Secretary M. Ravichandran as saying.
However, the report states that the task is expected to be completed by 2026.