The National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT) has qualified the Matsya-6000’s emergency rescue system at a depth of 500 meters in the Bay of Bengal. In 2022-23, the submersible will undergo a shallow water test phase at 500 meters. Qualification trials are scheduled for 2024.
The Matsya-6000 is India’s first manned submersible, developed by NIOT and launched in October 2021. It is a 2.1-meter diameter sphere made of 80 mm thick titanium alloy. It can withstand 600 times the pressure at sea level and has an endurance of 12 hours under normal operation and 96 hours in an emergency. The Matsya-6000 can accommodate a crew of three and is equipped with scientific sensors and tools.
NIOT’s Deep Sea Technologies group is involved in developing manned and unmanned underwater vehicles for the exploration and exploitation of deep ocean mineral resources such as poly-metallic manganese nodules, gas hydrates, hydrothermal sulphides ,etc and other oceanographic, polar and industrial applications
Matsya-6000 is designed to dive to a depth of 6,000 m. Similar to Gaganyaan crew module, it will have 5 cubic metres of space inside.
Duration of the dive will be 12 hours, but it will be able to stay underwater for 16 hours.
Work is currently midway; estimated to be ready for launch by 2024.
Only 5 other countries have launched manned submersibles so far.
Our Bureau
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