The National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT) in Chennai, which is part of the Ministry of Earth Sciences, is developing the “Matsya 6000” vessel as part of India’s “Samudrayaan Mission,” which aims to explore the deep seas.
Union Minister Kiren Rijiju posted images of the vessel. India is seeking to send three people to a depth of 6 km beneath the ocean’s surface for deep-sea research and biodiversity assessments after completing a successful “soft-landing” on the Moon’s south pole.
On a Monday visit to NIOT in Chennai, Earth Sciences Minister Rijiju examined the submersible and gave an update on India’s first human deep ocean expedition. He wrote a post on X (formerly Twitter),“ 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 biodiversity assessment”
“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 added.
The Union minister said that in addition to sending images to the scientists and engineers working on Matsya 6000, “Our Scientists, Researchers and Engineers are fully devoted to make the Deep Ocean Mission very successful in a sustainable manner.”
Rijiju further posted a video of himself inside the ship in which a professional describes how Matsya 6000 will navigate the deep ocean and how the participants in the deep-sea adventure will be able to survive there.
Matsya 6000 developments
– Jitendra Singh, the Union minister of state for earth sciences, had stated that the ‘MATSYA 6000’ vehicle can operate for up to 96 hours in an emergency to protect human safety while having a typical operational endurance of 12 hours. The year 2026 has been established as the mission’s anticipated completion date.
– The vehicle’s design has been decided, and numerous components are now being worked on. The Manned Submersible will allow for immediate human observation in the deep ocean, assisting with sample collection for analysis and the exploration of mineral-rich deposits including nickel, cobalt, rare earths, and manganese.
– The mission will result in advancements in undersea engineering that will help industries including asset inspection, tourism, and ocean literacy.
-Development activities include an automated and tethered unmanned vehicle for deep-sea resource exploration and biodiversity evaluation, as well as an integrated mining machine with a 6000-meter depth rating.
