After the raging success of the moon mission Chandrayaan-3 and with the Aditya L1 en route to study the Sun, India is now preparing to launch the ‘Samudrayaan Mission’ to study the deep sea.
‘Samudrayaan Mission’ will be India’s first manned Deep Ocean Mission. The plan is to send three humans in 6-km ocean depth in a submersible named ‘MATSYA 6000’. ‘Matsya’ is the Sanskrit word for fish. The submersible is being developed at the National Institute of Ocean Technology in Chennai.
Union Minister of Earth Sciences Kiren Rijiju took to X, formerly Twitter, to share the updates of the work underway for the mission. He said that the mission aims to study “the deep sea resources and biodiversity assessment”.
“The project will not disturb the ocean ecosystem. The Deep Ocean Mission supports the ‘Blue Economy’ vision of PM @narendramodi ji, and envisages sustainable utilization of ocean resources for economic growth of the country, improve livelihoods and jobs, and preserve ocean ecosystem health,” Rijiju posted.
Next is "Samudrayaan"
— Kiren Rijiju (@KirenRijiju) September 11, 2023
This is 'MATSYA 6000' submersible under construction at National Institute of Ocean Technology at Chennai. India’s first manned Deep Ocean Mission ‘Samudrayaan’ plans to send 3 humans in 6-km ocean depth in a submersible, to study the deep sea resources and… pic.twitter.com/aHuR56esi7
The Union Minister also met with the scientists, researchers, and engineers assigned to the mission. He said, “Our Scientists, Researchers, and Engineers are fully devoted to making the Deep Ocean Mission very successful in a sustainable manner.”
Rijiju also shared a video of himself inside the vessel, with a mission expert explaining how ‘Matsya 6000’ will explore the deep ocean and how the individuals joining the deep-sea expedition will be able to sustain themselves there.
The submersible is equipped with oxygen supply, and humidity controller among others. The submersible will have a shirt-sleeve environment, meaning the team inside the submersible can be dressed in ordinary clothing.
About the ‘Samudrayaan Mission’
The ‘Samudrayaan Mission’ aims to develop a self-propelled manned submersible to carry three human beings to a water depth of 6000 meters in the ocean with a suite of scientific sensors and tools for deep ocean exploration. The mission has an endurance of 12 hours of operational period and 96 hours in case of emergency.
Venturing into the deep ocean is by no means an easy task. Beyond 200 metres, the ocean gets very dark and cold and the pressure increases.
The manned submersible will allow scientific personnel to observe and understand unexplored deep sea areas by direct interventions. Further, it will enhance the capability for deep-sea man-rated vehicle development. The projected timeline for the mission is five years from 2020-2021 to 2025-2026.
The ‘MATSYA 6000’, a Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV), has been developed by the National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT), Chennai, an autonomous institute under the Earth Sciences Ministry.
Various other underwater instruments such as Autonomous Coring System (ACS), Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV), and Deep Sea Mining System (DSM) for the exploration of deep-sea have also been developed.
According to the National Institute of Ocean Technology, “deep oceans have abundant mineral resources like Polymetallic nodules; cobalt-rich manganese crust, and hydrothermal deposits. Polymetallic nodules have economically valuable metals such as Copper, Cobalt, Nickel and Manganese and are viewed as potential resources for the depleting land resources and increasing demand.”
What is the Modi government’s Blue Economy policy?
A draft policy framework on India’s Blue Economy was prepared last year. The draft Blue Economy policy framework envisages the optimal utilization of all sectors of the maritime domain, (living, non-living resources, tourism, ocean energy, etc.) for sustainable development of coastal areas.
This policy document contains key recommendations on the National Accounting Framework for Blue Economy and Ocean Governance, Coastal Marine Spatial Planning and Tourism Priority, Marine Fisheries, Aquaculture and Fish Processing, Manufacturing, Emerging Industries, Trade, Technology, Services and Skill Development, Logistics, Infrastructure and Shipping, Coastal and Deep-Sea Mining and Offshore Energy and Security, Strategic Dimensions and International Engagement.
