Union Minister Kiren Rijiju unveiled the ‘Matsya 6000,’ a submersible part of India’s ‘Samudrayaan Mission,’ led by the National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT) under the Ministry of Earth Sciences. This mission aims to explore the ocean’s depths.
Following India’s successful lunar ‘soft-landing,’ the nation now targets sending three humans 6 kilometers beneath the ocean’s surface for deep-sea exploration and biodiversity assessment.
Minister Rijiju visited NIOT, emphasizing the mission’s commitment to preserving the ocean ecosystem, aligning with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ‘Blue Economy’ vision.
Rijiju shared images with the scientists and engineers working on Matsya 6000, highlighting their dedication.
He also shared a video inside the submersible, explaining its capabilities in deep-sea exploration and safety.
Union Minister Jitendra Singh noted the ‘Matsya 6000’ offers 12 hours of operational endurance, extendable to 96 hours in emergencies. The mission aims for completion in 2026.
The submersible’s design is finalized, enabling human observation in the deep ocean for resource exploration (Nickel, Cobalt, Rare Earths, Manganese) and sample collection.
The mission promises innovations in underwater engineering, with potential applications in asset inspection, tourism, and ocean literacy.
Development efforts include a 6,000-meter depth-rated Integrated Mining Machine and unmanned vehicles for deep-sea resource exploration and biodiversity assessment.
Next is “Samudrayaan”
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— Kiren Rijiju (@KirenRijiju) September 11, 2023
