India Prepares for Groundbreaking Deep-Sea Mission 'Samudrayan'

India's Ambitious Deep-Sea Exploration Initiative

India possesses more knowledge about the Moon and Mars than its own oceans, which harbor ancient, untouched environments and invaluable resources beyond human reach. To explore these vast underwater realms, the country is gearing up for an ambitious deep-sea mission. Soon, India will launch the 'Samudrayan' mission, sending a manned mission to a depth of 6 kilometers beneath the ocean's surface. This initiative, spearheaded by the Ministry of Earth Sciences, marks India's first human-operated venture into the deep sea.

The mission aims to deploy a specialized vehicle capable of withstanding extreme underwater conditions, including high pressure, frigid temperatures, and complete darkness, to transport three individuals to the ocean floor.

Details of the Samudrayan Mission

The announcement regarding the Samudrayan mission was made by Dr. Jitendra Singh, the Union Minister of Earth Sciences, during the 19th foundation day celebration of the ministry in New Delhi. He emphasized that just as the 'Gaganyaan' mission aims to send an astronaut into space, the 'Samudrayan' mission will extend India's scientific capabilities into the ocean's depths. On this occasion, Dr. Singh also unveiled 14 new scientific services and digital products developed by the ministry, including the India Forecast System, crop-weather calendar, air quality forecasting, and marine biodiversity reports.

Innovative Submarine Design

The Matsya-6000 is a manned submarine designed to carry three individuals to depths exceeding 5,000 meters. It features a personnel sphere made of titanium, measuring 2.1 meters, ensuring safe transportation to these extreme depths. This innovative sphere is being developed through a unique collaboration between the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and marine institutions. The submarine will be equipped with sub-systems for buoyancy management, descent and ascent control, power and navigation systems, maneuvering thrusters, underwater manipulators, and data and sound communication systems, along with onboard energy storage batteries and emergency support systems. Named after the avatar of Lord Vishnu, the Matsya is designed for continuous operation for up to 12 hours at 5,000 meters and can sustain emergency operations for 96 hours for observation and exploration in deep waters.