China is building a floating island that can sail
What's the story
China has unveiled ambitious plans to build a massive 15-story tall "mobile island," the world's first offshore platform capable of sailing. Officially called the Deep-Sea All-Weather Resident Floating Research Facility, this aircraft-carrier-sized science island will be typhoon and nuclear-blast proof. It is designed to withstand storms and waves up to 66 feet high. The project is expected to be completed by 2030.
Project details
Length of the island will be over 450 feet
The floating island, which will be built by Shanghai Jiao Tong University (SJTU), is a collaborative effort with a shipbuilding company.
The university has signed a £304 million contract for the construction of this super ship.
Measuring 453 feet in length and 278 feet in width, the main deck of this floating facility will be situated 148 feet above sea level.
Research hub
It will be equipped with labs to study deep-sea phenomena
The floating island will be able to accommodate over 200 scientists. It will be equipped with laboratories for studying marine disasters, weather patterns, and deep-sea phenomena.
The facility will carry equipment weighing up to about 100 tons for conducting experiments and explorations at depths exceeding 3,200 feet.
Its twin-hull vessel design allows it to partially submerge for large-scale deep-sea trials.
Stability assurance
Floating island will remain stable even in brutal storms
The floating island is revolutionary as traditional research vessels often struggle to remain still in gale-force winds, which can affect the performance of research equipment.
However, this science ship is designed to survive even the most brutal storms while remaining stable enough for research.
It will be rapidly mobilized and deployed as a real-sea testing platform for deep-sea mining systems and key marine equipment.
Ecosystem study
It will also help improve typhoon forecasting accuracy
The floating island will also be used to improve typhoon forecasting accuracy, helping China mitigate the worst effects of rough sea storms.
Scientists on board will work on disaster prevention strategies.
The project comes after satellite images showed China's construction of the world's first mothership capable of deploying state-of-the-art submarine drones.