Current Context: By the end-2026, India will launch Samudrayaan, a crewed submarine project under the Deep Ocean Mission, to explore the ocean up to 6,000 m deep.
About the Mission:
- Deep Ocean Mission (DOM):
- Launched in 2021 by the Ministry of Earth Sciences.
- Aims to study deep-ocean resources and technologies for five years.
- MATSYA-6000 Submersible:
- India’s fourth-generation crewed mini-submarine.
- Endurance: 12 hours normally, 96 hours in emergency.
- Status: Successfully completed wet tests.
- Objectives:
- Research deep-sea plants, animals, and minerals.
- Build tools for long-term ocean monitoring.
- Lay groundwork for deep-sea tourism and blue economy
- Global Context: Few countries (USA, Russia, China, France, Japan) have done crewed deep-sea dives.