Why India's ambitious Samudrayaan mission has been delayed
What's the story
India's ambitious Samudrayaan mission, which aims to send a manned submersible to the ocean's depths, has been delayed. The delay is due to the late delivery of syntactic foam cladding from France. This crucial material is needed for buoyancy and floating capabilities of the submersible. The first major tests were originally scheduled for December 2024 but will now likely take place by April next year.
Mission details
Samudrayaan: A groundbreaking mission for India
The Samudrayaan mission features a sphere that can dive to 6,000m underwater, a feat only a few countries have achieved. A crew of three will operate this submersible, exploring the ocean floor and collecting soil and rock samples. The mission is seen as critical for India's future plans to explore and mine precious metals from the deep sea.
Project progress
NIOT's role in the Samudrayaan mission
The National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT), Chennai, is leading the Samudrayaan project. They have created a steel replica of the submersible as a simulator for all necessary tests before the final mission. The simulated dives have been conducted to depths of 100m so far. However, a final set of trials involving a 500m dive is still pending and is planned for April next year.
Foam delivery
Syntactic foam's journey and testing process
Before the 500m dive, the steel submersible has to be fitted with syntactic foam. This material is being developed in France and tested in Norway before being fitted onto India's submersible. M Ravichandran, Secretary of the Ministry of Earth Sciences, hopes it will be delivered by year-end. After these tests are done, the final titanium hull will be sent to Russia for laboratory testing for its ability to withstand ocean pressure at 6,000m depth.
Hull production
ISRO's contribution to the mission
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is making two titanium hulls for NIOT. Ravichandran added, "Once these tests are done, we hope to conduct the 500-meter dive by April next year."