News Brief
Matsya-6000: India’s First Titanium Alloy Human Submersible Gears Up For 6,000-Meter Ocean Exploration — All About It
Pic Via NIOT website
India is gearing up for a historic deep-sea exploration mission with Matsya-6000, the country’s first human submersible designed to operate at an extreme depth of 6,000 meters.
Developed by the National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT), Chennai, under the Ministry of Earth Sciences, the vessel is part of the Samudrayaan project under the Deep Ocean Mission, launched in 2021.
Built for Extreme Depths
Matsya-6000 is designed to carry three scientists in a 2.1-meter diameter personnel sphere made of Titanium alloy.
The vessel maintains an internal pressure of 1 atmosphere, even while withstanding the immense external pressure of 720 bars, which is 1.2 times more than the expected pressure at 6,000 meters.
To ensure safety, the submersible is equipped with a DNV-certified Human Support and Safety System (HSSS) that regulates oxygen levels at 20 per cent, keeps CO2 levels below 1,000 ppmv, and controls humidity for crew comfort.
DNV (Det Norske Veritas) is an internationally accredited registrar and classification society headquartered in Norway.
The vessel is designed for 12-hour missions but has an emergency endurance of up to 96 hours, ensuring survival in critical situations.
Matsya-6000 is equipped with an Underwater Acoustic Telephone that has been operated and tested for operations up to 10,000 meters depth of human operation vehicles.
The submersible also features a sub-phone for shallow-water operations (500 meters) and multiple emergency power and communication devices.
The voice communication is designed to be utilised every 30 minutes with the submersible pilot and the Mission Control Centre so that continuous communication is ensured.
Emergency Measures and Safety Mechanisms
Matsya-6000 is designed to perpetually float unless made to dive through water filling in its ballast tanks.
It has three different combinations of weight drop mechanisms for ascending to the surface to maintain the safety.
Further, the vessel has additional emergency power, control, and communication devices for emergency scenarios.
