more-inA group of Indian scientists are working on a mission to send a researcher in a spherical submersible vehicle, half a kilometre into the recesses of the Indian Ocean. If they succeed, it will pave the way for a bigger mission to send a three-member team in a titanium sphere, 6,000 metres into the sea to scout for little-known life-forms and precious metals. Satheesh Shenoi, Director of the National Institute of Ocean Technology—the coordinating scientific body—said talks were on with Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited, Tiruchi, to fabricate the submersible vehicle. “They are quite confident that they will be able to make a titanium sphere capable of a 500-metre dive,” he said. Once it is lowered into the sea, the personnel in the sphere are guaranteed a challenging assignment of at least 8-10 hours.

Source: The Hindu July 25, 2017 16:41 UTC