Matsya 6000 (
Sanskrit
Sanskrit (; attributively , ; nominally , , ) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in South Asia after its predecessor languages had diffused there from the northwest in the late ...
, ) is an Indian crewed
deep-submergence vehicle
A deep-submergence vehicle (DSV) is a deep-diving crewed submersible that is self-propelled. Several navies operate vehicles that can be accurately described as DSVs. DSVs are commonly divided into two types: research DSVs, which are used for ex ...
intended to be utilised for
deep-sea exploration
Deep-sea exploration is the investigation of physical, chemical, and biological conditions on the sea bed, for scientific or commercial purposes. Deep-sea exploration is considered a relatively recent human activity compared to the other areas of ...
of rare
mineral
In geology and mineralogy, a mineral or mineral species is, broadly speaking, a solid chemical compound with a fairly well-defined chemical composition and a specific crystal structure that occurs naturally in pure form.John P. Rafferty, ed. ( ...
s under the Deep Ocean mission. Currently under development, the vehicle would consist of a
titanium alloy
Titanium alloys are alloys that contain a mixture of titanium and other chemical elements. Such alloys have very high tensile strength and toughness (even at extreme temperatures). They are light in weight, have extraordinary corrosion resistance a ...
sphere of 80mm thickness along with a diameter of 2.1m which can withstand the pressure of 600 bar.
History
On 31 August 2019, while replying to a query about deep sea mining, the then director of NIOT (National Institute of Ocean Technology) Dr. M.A. Atmanand, who was at the facility of
Titagarh Wagons
Titagarh Wagons Limited is an Indian shipbuilder, defense, railway wagon manufacturer headquartered in Kolkata, West Bengal. The company manufactures coaches for the Indian Railways, bailey bridges, and mining equipment. A subsidiary, Titagarh M ...
to inaugurate coastal research vessel
Sagar Anveshika, said that in line with the
Gaganyaan
Gaganyaan (Sanskrit IAST: ''gagan-yāna'', ) is an Indian crewed orbital spacecraft intended to be the formative spacecraft of the Indian Human Spaceflight Programme. The spacecraft is being designed to carry three people, and a planned upgrad ...
mission of
ISRO
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO; ) is the national space agency of India, headquartered in Bengaluru. It operates under the Department of Space (DOS) which is directly overseen by the Prime Minister of India, while the Chairman ...
, NIOT was proposing a project to send a submersible vehicle with three persons to a depth of about 6000 metres to carry out deep underwater studies. He further added that the success of the "Samudrayaan" mission will help India join the league of developed nations in exploration of minerals from oceans.
The project was supposed to get final approval from the
Ministry of Finance A ministry of finance is a part of the government in most countries that is responsible for matters related to the finance.
Lists of current ministries of finance
Named "Ministry"
* Ministry of Finance (Afghanistan)
* Ministry of Finance and Eco ...
in October 2019, but the final approval was delayed and was granted on 16 June 2021.
Development
On 27 October 2021, NIOT conducted an uncrewed trial of the ‘personnel sphere,’ built of mild steel, using the
ORV Sagar Nidhi, in Bay of Bengal. For the trial, the personnel sphere was lowered up to a depth of 6000 metres, off the coast of
Chennai
Chennai (, ), formerly known as Madras ( the official name until 1996), is the capital city of Tamil Nadu, the southernmost Indian state. The largest city of the state in area and population, Chennai is located on the Coromandel Coast of th ...
. After successful trial and receiving certification, the union minister of state (independent charge) science and technology
Jitendra Singh Jitendra Singh may refer to:
* Jitendra Singh (politician, born 1956), Indian Bharatiya Janata Party politician
* Jitendra Singh (politician, born 1971), Indian National Congress politician
* Jitendra Singh (BSP) or Jitendra Kumar Bablu Bhaiya, B ...
formally launched the project on 29 October 2021.
The entire project was allocated () for a period of five years.
See also
*
Ictineu 3
''Ictineu 3'' is a manned submersible capable of reaching depths of 1,200 m (3,900 ft), which makes it the ninth deepest submersible, owned by ''Ictineu submarins SL''. Commissioned in 2013, the submersible can carry one pilot and two p ...
*
Deepsea Challenger
''Deepsea Challenger'' (DCV 1) is a deep-diving submersible designed to reach the bottom of Challenger Deep, the deepest-known point on Earth. On 26 March 2012, Canadian film director James Cameron piloted the craft to accomplish this goal in ...
*
Nautile
''Nautile'' is a crewed submersible owned by Ifremer, the French Research Institute for Exploitation of the Sea. Commissioned in 1984, the submersible can be operated at depths of up to .
''Nautile'' is capable of housing three people. It has a ...
References
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Research submarines
Research submarines of India
Submarines of India
Ship types