11 March 2024 – Earth Sciences minister Kiren Rijiju said that the Samudrayaan expedition would investigate the ocean floor by the end of 2025. The news was made after the National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT) successfully tested an underwater acoustic telephone for the submersible project at a depth of around 500 meters in the Bay of Bengal.
In an interview with a news outlet, Rijiju said that testing of India’s deep-ocean submersible, Matsya6000, which would transport scientists into the ocean’s depths, is “well on course” and may take place by “the end of this year.” After reviewing the project, the minister said that by the end of 2025, scientists should be ready to conduct the first shallow water tests.
Conclusion
The Samudrayaan project began in 2021. The submersible will include a variety of research instruments and sensors. Its 12-hour operating endurance may be increased to 96 hours in case of necessity. Thus far, nations such as the United States, Russia, China, France, and Japan have executed prosperous deep-ocean crewed missions. Should India’s deep-ocean expedition be successful, it will join a select group of countries possessing the necessary equipment and vehicles to conduct operations under the surface of the ocean.
