Brief Context
In News India is set to launch its first manned deep-ocean mission, ‘Samudrayaan’, by 2026, aiming to explore marine resources at a depth of 6,000 metres using the indigenously developed submersible ‘Matsya’. About Samudrayaan Mission The Samudrayaan Mission is part of the manned Deep Ocean Mission. It would have MATSYA 6000, a indigenously designed 4th generation manned submersible vehicle capable of carrying three people to a depth of 6,000 meters.
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Syllabus: GS3/ S&T
In News
- India is set to launch its first manned deep-ocean mission, ‘Samudrayaan’, by 2026, aiming to explore marine resources at a depth of 6,000 metres using the indigenously developed submersible ‘Matsya’.
About Samudrayaan Mission
- The Samudrayaan Mission is part of the manned Deep Ocean Mission.
- It would have MATSYA 6000, a indigenously designed 4th generation manned submersible vehicle capable of carrying three people to a depth of 6,000 meters.
- It is being developed by National Institute of Ocean Technology (Chennai).
- MATSYA 6000 has an operational endurance of 12 hours and an emergency endurance of 96 hours.
- India’s research vessel Sagar Nidhi will be used to deploy and recover the MATSYA 6000.
Significance of the Mission
- Scientific Research: Enables collection of deep-sea samples, critical for understanding marine biodiversity, geology, and chemistry.
- Resource Exploration: Potential for assessment of living (marine biodiversity) and non-living resources (minerals, polymetallic nodules).
- Technology Demonstration: Showcases indigenous capability in high-pressure deep-sea engineering.
- Tourism Potential: May lay foundation for future deep-sea tourism.
- Strategic Capability: Enhances India’s presence in global ocean research and resource diplomacy.
- League of Nations: With this mission, India will join a select group of nations (the US, Russia, France, Japan, and China) that have the technology and capabilities for manned deep-sea exploration.
About Deep Ocean Mission (DOM)
- The Deep Ocean Mission (DOM) was launched by the Ministry of Earth Sciences in 2021, and aims to explore and harness deep-sea resources in a sustainable and technologically advanced manner.
- With a ₹4,077 crore outlay over five years, DOM supports India’s Blue Economy and aligns with SDG-14 (Life Below Water).
- The mission is being spearheaded by the National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT) and comprises six components:
- Manned Submersible Development (Samudrayaan).
- Deep-sea Biodiversity Exploration
- Mining Polymetallic Nodules
- Ocean Climate Advisory Services
- Marine Station for Ocean Biology to promote research
- Advanced Ocean Observation Systems using underwater sensors and AI.
Source: HT