China to build manned submersible capable of reaching all seabeds

2017-01-23
Xinhua

BEIJING —China has begun to develop a manned submersible capable of taking a crew to all of the earth’s seafloors, the China Shipbuilding Industry Corporation (CSIC) said.

The project is led by the CSIC research institute that led the development of Jiaolong, China’s first manned deep-sea submersible.

Jiaolong set a Chinese record in June 2012 by reaching 7,062 meters deep in the Pacific Ocean’s Mariana Trench, allowing the vessel to conduct research and exploration on 99.8 percent of the world’s seafloors.

The CSIC has also been developing a manned submersible that can reach a depth of 4,500 meters. It is now working on the final assembly and testing of the vessel.

Meanwhile, a subsidiary of the CSIC is building a mothership, with a displacement of around 4,000 tonnes, for Jiaolong, expected to be put into service in March 2019.