• The National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT) has successfully conducted wet testing of a fourth generation deep-ocean human scientific submersible named ‘Matsya-6000’, as part of the Samudrayaan Project.

• The Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES) is planning to operate its first human underwater submersible (Deep-Sea Manned Vehicle) at a depth of 500 metres in the sea this year as part of the Deep Ocean Mission.

• The wet testing at L&T Shipbuilding facility at Kattupalli Port near Chennai marks a crucial step towards conducting shallow-water demonstrations at depths of up to 500 meters by the end of 2025.

Deep Ocean Mission

• The Ministry of Earth Sciences launched the Deep Ocean Mission in September 2021 to explore deep-sea living and  non-living resources to support the blue economy and for the sustainable harnessing of ocean resources. 

• Deep Ocean Mission was launched as a Central Sector Scheme with the overall estimated cost of Rs 4,077 crores for two phases of the Mission period during 2021-2026.

• Objectives of the Mission are intended for a better understanding of the deep sea resources of the Indian Ocean, thereby aiding efforts to expand the blue economy. 

• The activities of Deep Ocean Mission will help the components of the blue economy, such as fisheries, tourism and maritime transport, renewable energy, aquaculture, seabed resources exploration activities and marine biotechnology.

• The Deep Ocean Mission is a multi-ministerial, multi-disciplinary programme with an emphasis on the development of deep-sea technology that includes the development of a manned submersible rated for 6000-metre water depth along with technologies for deep-sea mining, exploration of deep-sea mineral resources and marine biodiversity, development of ocean climate change advisory services, deep sea surveys and exploration, and capacity building in marine biology & deep sea technology with infrastructure development.

• The Samudrayaan project under the Deep Ocean Mission is for the development of a manned submersible to carry three people to a depth of 6000 meters in the ocean with a suite of scientific sensors for ocean exploration and observation. The vehicle is called ‘Matsya-6000’. 

Key components of Matsya-6000:

• A main ballast system for diving.

• Thrusters for movement in all three directions.

• A battery bank for power supply.

• Syntactic foam for buoyancy. 

• A sophisticated power distribution network.

• Cutting edge control hardware and software.

• Advanced underwater navigation devices. 

• Communication systems include an acoustic modem, underwater telephone, and VHF for surface communication, supplemented by underwater acoustic positioning and GPS for precise surface location tracking.

• Inside the spherical hull, careful attention has been given to the integration of human life-support systems, displays of various environmental/critical parameters, navigation joysticks for manoeuvrability, as well as various oceanographic sensors, underwater lighting and cameras outside the hull. 

• All these sub-systems have been indigenously designed and are currently undergoing thorough integration and qualification testing.

(The author is a trainer for Civil Services aspirants.)