Context: The minister of Earth Sciences confirmed that the Samudrayaan mission is scheduled to explore the bed of the ocean by 2025 end.
India’s Deep Ocean Mission (DOM)
- India's Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES) is spearheading the Deep Ocean Mission (DOM), approved in 2021 with a budget of Rs 4,077 crore over five years.
- A key component of DOM is the Samudrayaan mission, aiming to explore the ocean bed.
Samudrayaan Mission:
- Launched in 2021, Samudrayaan is India's flagship deep ocean mission.
- It involves a crewed expedition to reach depths of 6,000 meters in the central Indian Ocean.
- The mission utilizes Matsya6000, a state-of-the-art deep-ocean submersible.
Matsya6000 Submersible:
- Matsya6000 is India's premier human submersible designed for deep-sea exploration.
- It accommodates three "aquanauts" and carries a suite of scientific tools for observation, sample collection, and experimentation.
- Operating endurance of 12 hours, expandable up to 96 hours during emergencies.
- Constructed from titanium alloy, capable of withstanding pressures up to 6,000 bar.
- Travels at speeds of approximately 5.5 km/hr using underwater thrusters