Matsya-6000

In an undersea implosion, the Titan submersible's entire crew perished.

In a locally developed vehicle called the Matsya-6000, Indian scientists are getting ready to make a similar plunge.

Similar to the Titan submersible, which just vanished, scientists are getting ready for a Deep Sea Dive with the Vehicle Matsya-6000 in late 2024.

In late 2024, the Matsya-6000 project of India's Deep Ocean Mission will attempt to explore the Indian Ocean at a depth of roughly 6,000 metres.

Key point

The privately held American business OceanGate, which arranges underwater trips for both science and tourism, operates the Titan submarine.

Compared to other deep diving submersibles, it is lighter and more affordable because it was constructed using "off-the-shelf" parts.

Titan weighs 10,432 kilogrammes and is comprised of titanium and carbon fibre.

It can travel 4,000 metres beneath the ocean's surface and travels at a speed of three knots per hour (5.56 kph).

About Matsya-6000

The MATSYA 6000 is a manned submarine that was created locally.

The Indian National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT) is creating the Matsya-6000, an indigenous deep-sea dive submersible. At a depth of around 6,000 metres, it is intended to explore the Indian Ocean's depths.

The mission's goal is to transport three Indian navigators to a location that is located about 1,500 kilometres from Kanyakumari, India.

It will make it easier for the Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES) to carry out deep ocean research.

According to the ANI news agency, it has a 96-hour emergency endurance and a 12-hour operational endurance.

Scientific professionals will be able to directly examine and comprehend uncharted deep-sea regions thanks to the manned submersible.

Aim

Supporting India's energy needs and researching ocean resources are the mission's main goals.

India wants to start mining polymetallic nodules that include rich materials including copper, nickel, cobalt, and manganese.

This project is in line with the Deep Ocean Mission of the Indian government, which intends to create machines and technology for ocean mining and scanning.

Standards for design

Titanium Enclosure: For increased safety, the Matsya-6000's front and back casings are made of titanium.

The submersible is outfitted with syntactic foam, a flotation device that aids in locating it even if it is unable to resurface.

Titanium: Titanium is around 45% lighter than steel while still being as robust. According to the United States Geological Survey, it is just 60% heavier and twice as strong as aluminium.

At 3,800m, the depth at which the Titanic wreck lay, a titanium or thick steel pressure tank is typically spherical in shape to withstand the crushing forces.

Submarine Vs Submersible

Although the two terms can be used interchangeably, a submarine is an undersea craft that is mostly self-sufficient and has power reserves to help it leave a port or return to the port after an excursion.

A submersible, on the other hand, requires a ship to launch and recover it because it is often smaller in size and more powerless.

Titan, a vanished submarine, was collaborating with Polar Prince when it went missing.

Features of Submersible:

To endure the intense pressure at high depths, the submersible has a titanium shell that is spherical in shape.

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) makes the titanium shell because no local commercial fabricators could make one.

A single hull, which acts as the principal barrier between the crew and the surrounding water columns, is made by joining two hemispheres of titanium alloy.

necessity of such a mission

There are nine coastal states and 1,382 islands along India's 7517 kilometres of coastline, which is in a unique marine position.

The mission intends to advance the central government's vision of a "New India," which places a strong emphasis on the Blue Economy as one of the top ten growth-related factors.

With the oceans on three of its sides and around 30% of the people living along the shore, the coastal regions are important for India's economy. It promotes aquaculture, tourism, subsistence, and blue trade.

Lessons learnt from reviews of the Titan Submersible Safety System:

In light of the Titan submersible incident, there might be assessments of the current safety systems in use.

Test Dives and Maximum Depth: NIOT divers will perform test dives up to 500 metres deep inside a steel submersible before the main dives.

Steel vs. titanium :Titanium is preferred for resurfacing with ease and balancing severe ocean depths because it is stronger but lighter than steel.

The most recent occurrence has brought attention to the necessity of thorough safety assessments and frequent testing.

There are concerns raised by the submersible's failure to be located despite having several communication systems on board. To assist in determining the cause of such mishaps, future submersibles might have "black box" equivalents, similar to those present in aircraft.

About Samudrayaan Mission:

Samudrayaan is a massive ocean/sea-related mission that was launched in October 2021.

The goal is to create "a self-propelled manned submersible to carry three humans to an ocean depth of 6,000 metres with a set of scientific sensors and deep ocean exploration gear.

It aims to conduct deep ocean exploration for non-living resources, such as polymetallic manganese nodules, methane hydrates, hydro-thermal sulphides, and cobalt crusts, that are found at a depth of between 1000 and 5500 metres.