In News:

India is set to join a select group of nations—US, Russia, China, Japan, and France—with the capability for manned deep-sea exploration through its ambitious Samudrayaan Project.

As part of preparations, two Indian aquanauts recently dived into the Atlantic Ocean aboard France’s submersible Nautile, gaining critical experiential insights.

The mission is a core component of the Deep Ocean Mission (2021–26), which supports India’s Blue Economy vision and aligns with the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (2021–30).

Samudrayaan Project

• Objective: To send three humans in a manned submersible to a depth of 6,000 metres by 2027.
• Coordinating agency:National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT) under the Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES), with technical support from ISRO’s Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC).
• Budget: Part of the ?4,077 crore Deep Ocean Mission, approved by the Union Cabinet in 2021.

Key Aims

• Develop deep-sea mining technologies, robotics, and underwater vehicles.
• Conduct surveys for mineral deposits, particularly polymetallic nodules (rich in nickel, cobalt, manganese, rare earths).
• Explore deep-sea biodiversity and promote bio-prospecting.
• Establish an ocean climate change advisory service.
• Develop technologies for energy and freshwater from oceans.
• Build an advanced marine station for ocean biology and engineering.

Matsya-6000: The Crewed Submersible

• India’s first self-propelled manned submersible, designed like a fish.
• Built with a titanium alloy sphere (2.1 m diameter, 80 mm thickness) to withstand 600 times atmospheric pressure at 6,000 m depth and temperatures as low as -3°C.
• Capacity: 3 aquanauts for 12-hour missions, extendable to 96 hours in emergencies.
• Equipped with:
  • Life-support systems (oxygen supply, CO? scrubbers, re-breather systems).
  • Acoustic communication systems (since radio waves cannot penetrate deep water).
  • Drop-weight escape mechanism for emergency ascent.
  • Li-Po batteries and bio-vests for crew health monitoring.

Challenges in Deep-Sea Exploration

• Extreme Pressure: Precise fabrication (via electron beam welding) is required, as even a 0.2 mm deviation in sphere thickness can lead to collapse.
• Material Constraints: Titanium alloy of required grade is rare, and countries are reluctant to share reserves.
• Life Support: Ensuring safe oxygen levels, CO? absorption, and emergency backup systems.
• Communication: Acoustic telephones must overcome issues of temperature, salinity, and water depth.
• Human Endurance: Aquanauts face restricted mobility, limited nutrition, and confined conditions during 9–12 hour dives.

Deep Ocean Mission (DOM)

• Launched in 2021 for 5 years.
• Components:
  • Deep Sea Mining & Manned Submersible: Samudrayaan and mineral exploration.
  • Ocean Climate Change Advisory Services: Seasonal to decadal forecasting.
  • Deep-Sea Biodiversity Studies: Exploration of flora, fauna, microbes.
  • Deep Ocean Surveys: Mapping multi-metal sulphide and PMN sites.
  • Energy & Freshwater: Research into Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC) and desalination.
  • Advanced Marine Station: Capacity building, R&D, and technology incubation.

Recent Progress

• Ocean Mineral Explorer (OMe 6000): Autonomous underwater vehicle deployed in 2022, surveying 14 sq. km in the Central Indian Ocean Basin at depths of 5,271 m, assessing PMN deposits and biodiversity.
• Research vessel SagarNidhi used for exploration and surveys.

Strategic and Economic Significance

• Blue Economy Growth: Supports industries like shipping, fishing, tourism, and biotechnology.
• Resource Security: Access to polymetallic nodules critical for electronics, renewable energy, and defense sectors.
• Geostrategic Edge: Enhances India’s role in the International Seabed Authority (ISA) regime.
• Scientific Advancement: Builds indigenous expertise in ocean engineering and extreme-environment technologies.
• Climate Preparedness: Generates critical data on ocean-climate interactions.