China develops a 1,000 m deep sightseeing submersible

The China Ship Science Research Center (CSSRC) in Wuxi, northwest of Shanghai, announced plans to commercially operate affordable cruises using a new four-person submarine by 2030. “People can go down to a depth of about 1,000 meters,” Ye Cong, director of the CSSRC, told China Daily.

Ye said the center has been researching the new ship model for four years and perfecting the structural design. They plan to build a prototype later this year and conduct sea trials, then use the results to improve the design.

According to Ye, CSSRC has successfully developed key components, including large observation windows, which are difficult to manufacture for deep-sea vessels. He added: “The new ship model will be a valuable asset to cruise lines, luxury travel companies and oceanographers. It will give passengers an unforgettable ocean exploration experience.”

This is not the first time CSSRC has participated in scuba diving tourism. A few years ago, the center built two tourist submersibles Huandao Jiaolong 1 and 2 for use in Sanya, a famous coastal resort city in Hainan province. Each boat has two operators and can carry 7 passengers to a depth of 40 m for a diving trip lasting about 8 hours. However, this activity has been stopped due to management regulations.

To serve deep-sea scientific exploration, China has three submersibles, Jiaolong, Shenhai Yongshi and Fendouzhe. According to Ye, last year they made more than 300 dives, accounting for more than 50% of all manned deep-sea expeditions in the world. They will perform more underwater missions in the coming years, he said.

Theo New Atlasthe depth of 1,000 m is still quite small compared to where Titan – the submersible exploring the Titanic wreck of the American company OceanGate, exploded three years ago. Titan has reached a depth of nearly 4,000 m and is under significantly greater pressure. China is also not the only country trying to commercialize deep-sea exploration. In the Netherlands, U-Boat Worx is developing technology to make underwater travel easier.