Samudrayaan/Deep Ocean Mission: News & Updates

RISING SUN

RISING SUN

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Govt. plans ‘ISRO-like’ ocean mission
Looking to emulate the success of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) in designing and launching satellites, the Centre has drawn up a five-year, ₹8,000 crore plan to explore the deep recesses of the ocean.

The Union Earth Sciences Ministry — tasked with coordinating the exercise — unveiled a blueprint of the ‘Deep Ocean Mission (DOM)’ on Friday.

Among the key deliverables to achieve these goals are an offshore desalination plant that will work with tidal energy, and developing a submersible vehicle that can go to a depth of at least 6,000 metres with three people on board.

“The mission proposes to explore the deep ocean similar to the space exploration started by ISRO about 35 years ago,” the report notes.

India’s share
India has been allotted a site of 75,000 square kilometres in the Central Indian Ocean Basin (CIOB) by the UN International Sea Bed Authority for exploitation of polymetallic nodules (PMN). These are rocks scattered on the seabed containing iron, manganese, nickel and cobalt. “It is envisaged that 10% of recovery of that large reserve can meet the energy requirement of India for the next 100 years. It has been estimated that 380 million metric tonnes of polymetallic nodules are available at the bottom of the seas in the Central Indian Ocean,” the report adds. India’s Exclusive Economic Zone spreads over 2.2 million square kilometres and in the deep sea, lies “unexplored and unutilised.”

Madhavan Rajeevan, Secretary, Earth Sciences Ministry, said he had outlined his plans to the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO).

The focus will be on technologies for deep-sea mining, underwater vehicles, underwater robotics and ocean climate change advisory services, among other aspects.
Govt. plans ‘ISRO-like’ ocean mission
 
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Centre to launch Deep Ocean Mission in October
A five-year, ₹8,000-crore plan to explore the deepest recesses of the ocean has finally got the green signal from the government.

The ‘Deep Ocean Mission (DOM)’ to be led by the Union Earth Sciences Ministry will commence from October 31, Madhavan Rajeevan, Secretary, said at a public function. “We finally have the in-principle approval to go ahead with the mission. Now expenditure plans will be drawn and circulated [to various institutions affiliated to the Ministry] for executing programmes and we hope to launch by October 31,” he said.

The Ministry had unveiled a blueprint of the programme last July. Among the key deliverables are an offshore desalination plant that will work with tidal energy and developing a submersible vehicle that can go to a depth of at least 6,000 metres with three people on board.

“The mission proposes to explore the deep ocean similar to the space exploration started by ISRO about 35 years ago,” a report explaining the objectives of the programme notes.

A major thrust of the mission will be looking for metals and minerals.

India has been allotted a site of 75,000 sq. km. in the Central Indian Ocean Basin (CIOB) by the UN International Sea Bed Authority for exploitation of polymetallic nodules (PMN). These are rocks scattered on the seabed containing iron, manganese, nickel and cobalt. Being able to lay hands on even 10% of that reserve can meet the energy requirement for the next 100 years. It has been estimated that 380 million metric tonnes of polymetallic nodules are available at the bottom of the seas in the Central Indian Ocean. India’s Exclusive Economic Zone spreads over 2.2 million sq. km. and in the deep sea, lies “unexplored and unutilised”.
Centre to launch Deep Ocean Mission in October
 
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ISRO Develops Submersible Capsule Capable of Travelling 6,000 Meters Deep for Ocean Mission

A three member crew can be accommodated in the sphere-shaped capsule, one of the key components of the manned submersible vehicle.

By PTI
Updated:November 3, 2019, 9:34 PM IST
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Chennai: India's ambition to send men to the deep sea in a submersible vehicle appears to be one step closer to fruition with ISRO successfully developing a design for its crew module, a sphere shaped capsule.

"The design for the manned submersible's sphere has been successfully developed by ISRO. Now it has to be certified and then we will go ahead with the fabrication," Secretary, Ministry of Earth Sciences, Madhavan Nair Rajeevan said.

Interacting with journalists on the sidelines of the silver jubilee celebrations of the National Institute of Ocean Technology here, the top official said that designing the sphere (intended to be built using titanium) involved complex technology.

"ISRO has developed the design and it will be sent to an international agency for certification," he said, adding that the Indian space agency has taken up both designing as well as fabrication -at a later stage- of the sphere.

A three member crew can be accommodated in the sphere, one of the key components of the manned submersible vehicle.

"Work is already on for the deep ocean mission and scientific and technical work has started," he said.

An MoU has already been signed between the ISRO and NIOT on development of the module.

NIOT is tasked with aspects like electronics and navigation for the manned submersible.

Also, multiple agencies, including the Goa-based National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research, Centre for Marine Living Resources and Ecology at Kochi and Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (Hyderabad) are involved in the initiatives.

The submersible vehicle is expected to travel to a depth of approximately 6,000 metres under the sea for various studies, whereas submarines can reach only about 200 metres.

This initiative is a part of the Deep Ocean Mission.

As part of the ambitious Rs 10,000 crore Deep Ocean Mission, India will also study climate change in the deep oceans.

Studying climate change, marine biodiversity and survey for compounds like hydrocarbons and minerals are part of the deep ocean mission.

ISRO Develops Submersible Capsule Capable of Travelling 6,000 Meters Deep for Ocean Mission
 
Apparently its a ISRO-NIOT joint project. The preliminary name given to it is Matsya 6000-Samudrayaan(For those who don't speak Hindi/Sanskrit, this means "Ocean vehicle". Matsya means "fish").

Here is a CGI of the whole thing :

1572807502349.png


Here is an early prototype of the capsule :

1572807561342.png


Here is a recent photo of a the acclimitisation chamber based on the capsule. This chamber is to be used for operator training purposes :

1572807608545.png


The photo above is from here :

https://twitter.com/x/status/1023854614628716544

@BMD this might interest you.
 
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Indian scientists to set sail in search of valuable minerals

By M Ramesh
Chennai | Updated onJanuary 08, 2020
1578475731439.png

At a point in the Indian Ocean off the coast of Madagascar, three mid-ocean ridges, known for their volcanic activity, intersect - Pieter Marais

Indian scientists are preparing to set sail to a region of the Indian Ocean, off the East coast of Madagascar, where they believe are plenty of valuable minerals to pick up.

It’s been two years since India leased a 10,000 sq km area (for 15 years) from the International Seabed Authority, part of the United Nations; so, there is a lot of work to be done before the country shovels in the riches. But a beginning is to be made at least by next year, said M Ravichandran, Director, National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research (NCPOR), Goa.

NCPOR and Chennai-based National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT), will jointly purchase an autonomous underwater vehicle — an unmanned, pre-programmed vehicle that can dive into the ocean and collect pictures and samples. Both NCPOR and NIOT are research institutions under the Ministry of Earth Sciences.

Ravichandran told Business Line that NCPOR has “identified a dozen locations”, potential candidates for detailed exploration for tapping into minerals spewed by ‘hydrothermal vents’.

Hydrothermal vents

The Earth has about 65,000 km of underwater mountain ranges called the mid-ocean ridges. Like mountains on land, these ridges represent ‘weak’ spots, where it is easy for the semi-solid material from the mantle of the Earth to escape to the surface. This ‘escape’ is sometimes in the form of volcanoes.

The mid-ocean ridges are also known for their volcanic activity — several islands in the Pacific ocean were formed by the molten rock spewed by them. But often, stuff from under the Earth’s crust also escapes through ‘vents’ in the mountains. The discovery of such hydrothermal vent systems in the deep oceanic ridges has generated a lot of interest, mainly because of the material spewed can contain valuable metals such as copper, zinc, gold, silver, platinum and palladium.

“Apart from their economic potential, sea-floor hydrothermal vents are characterised by dense biological communities,” says a NCPOR note on the subject. More than 700 species have been reported, it adds.

At a point in the Indian ocean off the coast of Madagascar, around 26° South, three mid-ocean ridges intersect.

This is estimated to be a highly productive area. The massive deposits “can range from several thousands to 100 million tonnes,” said the NCPOR. The sea-bed sampling that NCPOR is planning for next year will pinpoint the best areas for further exploration and mining.

NIOT also expects to send another (home-made) vehicle to another region of the Indian ocean next month, to check the machine’s ability to crawl on the extremely greasy sea-bed. This region has been proven to contain rich deposits of polymetallic nodules that hold copper and cobalt.

India has an exclusive exploration right over a 75,000 sq km area.

‘Samudrayaan’

The machine, currently stationed at NIOT, will move on tracks, but in order they don’t get mired into the seabed, the vehicle has buoys on it to keep pulling it upwards. This machine is a precursor to another equipment, informally christened ‘Samudrayaan’, which will contain a module to hold human beings.

Indian scientists to set sail in search of valuable minerals
 
Demo trials of 'Samudrayaan project' a success in Tamil Nadu

As a first step, demonstration trials were successfully conducted earlier this week in 500 metres depth off Chennai coast.

By SV Krishna Chaitanya
Express News Service
Published: 30th October 2021 04:02 AM
1635589180796.png

Scientists deploy sphere-shaped replica of MATSYA-6000 during demonstration trails off Chennai coast. (Photo: Special arrangement)

CHENNAI: What does it take to send a human to 6 km ocean depth ? Ask scientists at the Chennai-based National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT), who are on course to design, develop and realize manned-submersible code named "MATSYA-6000" under the ambitious "Samudrayaan project".

As a first step, demonstration trials were successfully conducted earlier this week in 500 m depth off Chennai coast. While the actual ‘MATSYA-6000’, made of special titanium alloy, is under development in collaboration with the ISRO, NIOT scientists have made a sphere-shaped replica for operational capability demonstration.

The ‘Samudrayaan project’, known as India’s manned ocean mission, was officially launched on Friday by Union Minister of State (Independent Change) Earth Sciences Jitendra Singh at the NIOT. Singh said this niche technology would facilitate Ministry of Earth Sciences in carrying out deep ocean exploration of the non-living resources such as polymetallic manganese nodules, gas hydrates, hydro-thermal sulphides and cobalt crusts, located at a depth between 1 to 5.5 km.

NIOT director G. A. Ramadass told TNIE the demonstration trials were mainly to have a first-hand experience of deploying a 2.1 m diameter personnel sphere underwater and check for pressure. NIOT scientist S. Ramesh, who headed the trials, said the sphere weighs about 5 tonnes and doesn’t contain any other sub-systems. In the next stage, crew members, who will be sent to shallow depths to access the comfort, will have life support and safety systems.

Aid to harvest sea minerals

While Ramadass said the manned-submersible will be ready for qualification trials by December 2024, the Union minister wished the nation could set a record by sending a man to deep ocean and deep space simultaneously. ISRO is planning for Gaganyaan, a manned space mission, in early 2023. NIOT officials said the final MATSYA 6000 will be capable of carrying 3 crew members with an endurance of 12 hours and an additional 96 hours in case of emergency.

It will be maneuvered at the deep sea floor autonomously using a battery-powered propulsion system at 6,000 metres depth. As India is a pioneer investor and continuing contract for deep sea mineral exploration under United Nations International Seabed Authority, this vehicle helps India harvest the resources and assist in development of Integrated Mining System.

A deep-dive into the project
  • The actual ‘MATSYA-6000’, made of special titanium alloy, is under development in collaboration with the ISRO
  • The technology is expected to facilitate carrying out deep ocean exploration of non-living resources at 1000m to 5500m depth
Demo trials of 'Samudrayaan project' a success in Tamil Nadu


@Ashwin @randomradio @BMD @Chain Smoker @Ankit Kumar et al.
 
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Gautam said:
Demo trials of 'Samudrayaan project' a success in Tamil Nadu

As a first step, demonstration trials were successfully conducted earlier this week in 500 metres depth off Chennai coast.

By SV Krishna Chaitanya
Express News Service
Published: 30th October 2021 04:02 AM
View attachment 21759
Scientists deploy sphere-shaped replica of MATSYA-6000 during demonstration trails off Chennai coast. (Photo: Special arrangement)

CHENNAI: What does it take to send a human to 6 km ocean depth ? Ask scientists at the Chennai-based National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT), who are on course to design, develop and realize manned-submersible code named "MATSYA-6000" under the ambitious "Samudrayaan project".

As a first step, demonstration trials were successfully conducted earlier this week in 500 m depth off Chennai coast. While the actual ‘MATSYA-6000’, made of special titanium alloy, is under development in collaboration with the ISRO, NIOT scientists have made a sphere-shaped replica for operational capability demonstration.

The ‘Samudrayaan project’, known as India’s manned ocean mission, was officially launched on Friday by Union Minister of State (Independent Change) Earth Sciences Jitendra Singh at the NIOT. Singh said this niche technology would facilitate Ministry of Earth Sciences in carrying out deep ocean exploration of the non-living resources such as polymetallic manganese nodules, gas hydrates, hydro-thermal sulphides and cobalt crusts, located at a depth between 1 to 5.5 km.

NIOT director G. A. Ramadass told TNIE the demonstration trials were mainly to have a first-hand experience of deploying a 2.1 m diameter personnel sphere underwater and check for pressure. NIOT scientist S. Ramesh, who headed the trials, said the sphere weighs about 5 tonnes and doesn’t contain any other sub-systems. In the next stage, crew members, who will be sent to shallow depths to access the comfort, will have life support and safety systems.

Aid to harvest sea minerals

While Ramadass said the manned-submersible will be ready for qualification trials by December 2024, the Union minister wished the nation could set a record by sending a man to deep ocean and deep space simultaneously. ISRO is planning for Gaganyaan, a manned space mission, in early 2023. NIOT officials said the final MATSYA 6000 will be capable of carrying 3 crew members with an endurance of 12 hours and an additional 96 hours in case of emergency.

It will be maneuvered at the deep sea floor autonomously using a battery-powered propulsion system at 6,000 metres depth. As India is a pioneer investor and continuing contract for deep sea mineral exploration under United Nations International Seabed Authority, this vehicle helps India harvest the resources and assist in development of Integrated Mining System.

A deep-dive into the project
  • The actual ‘MATSYA-6000’, made of special titanium alloy, is under development in collaboration with the ISRO
  • The technology is expected to facilitate carrying out deep ocean exploration of non-living resources at 1000m to 5500m depth
Demo trials of 'Samudrayaan project' a success in Tamil Nadu


@Ashwin @randomradio @BMD @Chain Smoker @Ankit Kumar et al.
Click to expand...
Don't know about mining in space but nations are surely looking for cobalt, copper, nickel, etc deposits in deep sea mining activities. Japan , Russia and US all have active missions I think. Although still not on a commerical scale, but it's happening.

This should be considered a economic opportunity and thrust should be given on political and financial levels for deep sea exploration.

I am not sure but does the EEZ gives us rights to mine the sea bed ?
 
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Ankit Kumar said:
This should be considered a economic opportunity and thrust should be given on political and financial levels for deep sea exploration.

I am not sure but does the EEZ gives us rights to mine the sea bed ?
Click to expand...
I think we do have commercial right on EEZ although I am not certain of this. We have oil & gas rigs in our EEZ, like the Mumbai high & the rigs in the K-G basin. The extracted oil & gas from the sea bed is ours. So why shouldn't that extend to metals from sea bed ?
 
Ankit Kumar said:
Don't know about mining in space but nations are surely looking for cobalt, copper, nickel, etc deposits in deep sea mining activities. Japan , Russia and US all have active missions I think. Although still not on a commerical scale, but it's happening.

This should be considered a economic opportunity and thrust should be given on political and financial levels for deep sea exploration.

I am not sure but does the EEZ gives us rights to mine the sea bed ?
Click to expand...
India has been saying that all sort of things like extracting methane gas to metallic nodules from ocean for the last 2 decades but has done nothing to show any concrete progress. Its been just hot air as usual. India neither has the technical capability or drive to acquire it for any deep see mining.
 

India launches its first manned ocean mission. All you need to know​

India has launched its first manned ocean mission, ‘Samudrayan’, joining six other nations engaged in exploring the ocean depths for studies and research. While launching the mission on Friday, Union minister Jitendra Singh said India has made huge progress in science and technology and when an Indian goes up into space as part of the Gaganyaan programme, another would dive deep into the ocean.

"Launched India’s First Manned Ocean Mission #Samudrayan at #Chennai. India joins elite club of select nations USA, Russia, Japan,France & China having such underwater vehicles. A new chapter opens to explore ocean resources for drinking water, clean energy & blue economy,” Singh tweeted.

Here’s all about Samudrayan:

1. Undertaken by the National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT), the Samudrayan project will be a part of the ₹6,000 crore Deep Ocean Mission.

2. The Matsya 6000, the deep-sea vehicle under the Samudrayan initiative, is designed to carry three people in a titanium alloy personnel sphere of 2.1-metre diameter enclosed space.

3. It will have an endurance of 12 hours and an additional 96 hours in case of an emergency situation.

4. It could work at a depth between 1000 and 5500 meters.

5. The niche technology facilitates carrying out deep ocean exploration of non-living resources such as polymetallic manganese nodules, gas hydrates, hydro-thermal sulphides and cobalt crusts.

6. According to a NIOT official, Matsya 6000 will be ready for qualification trials by December 2024. The official also said that the shallow water (500 metres) phase is expected to happen by the end of 2022 or 2023 and will be followed by deeper initiatives.

7. NIOT developed a 'personnel sphere' made of mild steel with local industry for an operational capability of 500 metres and tested for its usage as per the International Classification and Certification Agency for man-rated operation during this month sea trial using Ocean Research Vessel Sagar Nidhi in the Bay of Bengal.


8. The deep-sea vehicle shall be manoeuvred at deep-seafloor with six-degree freedom using a battery-powered propulsion system for 4 hours at 6000-metre depth, according to the release. "Basically this vehicle is a platform to carry any devices, sensors etc to deep-sea for doing experiments/observations in the presence of a human being,” the official said.

9. This programme will augment India's capability with infrastructure facilities such as a high thickness welding facility and deep ocean simulator.

10. The government has approved the Deep Ocean Mission to be implemented by the Union ministry of earth sciences at a total budget of ₹4,077 crore for 5 years.
www.hindustantimes.com

India launches its first manned ocean mission. All you need to know

The Samudrayan project, undertaken by the National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT), will be a part of the ₹6,000 crore Deep Ocean Mission.
www.hindustantimes.com www.hindustantimes.com
 

India's deep ocean mission to study origins of life soon: Govt​

India will soon scour the ocean bed to unravel the mysteries of the origins of life as scientists are set to travel up to 6,000 metres below the sea surface under a deep ocean mission (DOM).

Initially, the Rs 4,077-crore mission will entail scientists travelling to a depth of 500 metres to test various technologies being developed for the purpose before taking a deeper dive into the unknown.

"Some of the mysteries about the origins of life still persist. There are theories that life originated in hydrothermal vents which exist at a depth of four to five kilometres in the ocean," M Ravichandran, Secretary, Ministry of Earth Sciences, told PTI.

"It is completely dark at the depth of four to five kilometres, but there are living organisms. How is life born at that depth, how does life survive? The deep ocean mission will also help us understand this," he said.

The DOM will also help India map the ocean bed, which is a rich source for metals and minerals, Ravichandran said, adding that the mission will help scientists identify and demarcate resource-rich areas which could be exploited later when suitable technology is available for deep-sea mining.

The exploration studies of minerals will pave the way for commercial exploitation in the near future as and when such a code is evolved by the International Seabed Authority, he said.

"Right now, we roughly know that such resources are available in a given area, and the DOM will help us know the specifics," Ravichandran added.

The DOM could also lead to the development of various technologies such as acoustic phones, components that withstand a high-pressure environment, research vessels and related infrastructure, he said.

The technologies required for deep-sea mining have strategic implications and are not commercially available, Ravichandran said, adding that attempts will be made to adopt indigenous technologies by collaborating with leading institutes and private industries, the official said.

Ravichandran said this mission is also directed towards capacity development in marine biology which will provide job opportunities in Indian industries.
www.indiatoday.in

India's deep ocean mission to study origins of life soon: Govt

India will soon launch its own deep-sea mission to study the origins of life on earth. The mission will focus on using indigenous technology.
www.indiatoday.in www.indiatoday.in
 

Samudrayaan: India's first mission to send humans 6,000 metre deep in ocean​

To unlock the mysteries in the heart of the deep sea waters, India has undertook mega ocean mission 'Samudrayaan'. The country aims to send a team of experts into the deep sea to carry out various deep underwater studies.

Samudrayaan Mission is aimed to develop a self-propelled manned submersible to carry three human beings to a water depth of 6,000 meters in the ocean with a suite of scientific sensors and tools for deep ocean exploration. It has an endurance of 12 hours of operational period and 96 hours in case of emergency.

The manned submersible will allow scientific personnel to observe and understand unexplored deep-sea areas by direct interventions. Further, it will enhance the capability for deep sea man rated vehicle development.

The projected timeline is five years for the period 2020-2021 to 2025-2026.

For India, there lies a unique maritime position, a 7517 km long coastline, which is home to nine coastal states and 1,382 islands. The Government of India's vision of 'New India' highlights the Blue Economy as one of the ten core dimensions of growth.

National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT), Chennai, an autonomous institute under Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES), has developed 6000m depth rated Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) and various other underwater instruments such as Autonomous Coring System (ACS), Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV) and Deep Sea Mining System (DSM) for the exploration of deep sea.

With the launch of the unique ocean mission 'Samudrayaan' in October 2021, India joined the elite club of nations such as the US, Russia, Japan, France, and China to have niche technology and vehicles to carry out subsea activities.

While launching the sea exploration initiative, Union Minister of State Dr Jitendra Singh mentioned, "This niche technology shall facilitate Ministry of Earth Sciences, in carrying out deep ocean exploration of the non-living resources such as polymetallic manganese nodules, gas hydrates, hydro-thermal sulphides, and cobalt crusts, located at a depth between 1000 and 5500 meters."

Oceans, which cover 70 percent of the globe, remain a key part of our life. About 95 percent of the Deep Ocean remains unexplored. For India, with its three sides surrounded by the oceans and around 30 percent of the nation's population living in coastal areas and coastal regions play a major economic factor. It supports fisheries and aquaculture, tourism, livelihoods, and blue trade.

The preliminary design of the manned submersible 'MATSYA 6000' is completed and realization of the vehicle has been started along with various organizations including ISRO, IITM, and DRDO roped-in to support the initiative, the Union Minister added.

Developed indigenously, MATSYA 6000 is a manned submersible vehicle. It will facilitate the Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES) in conducting deep ocean exploration.

The underwater vehicles are essential for carrying out subsea activities such as high resolution bathymetry, biodiversity assessment, geo-scientific observation, search activities, salvage operation and engineering support. Even though unmanned underwater vehicles have improved manoeuvring and excellent vision systems resembling direct observation, manned submersible provides a feel of direct physical presence for researchers and has better intervention capability. With the advancing subsea technologies.

The Indian government had approved the Deep Ocean Mission (DOM) to be implemented under the aegis of the Ministry of Earth Sciences at a total budget of Rs 4,077 crore for a period of five years.

The estimated cost for the first phase for the 3 years (2021-2024) would be Rs 2,823.4 crore. Deep Ocean Mission will be a mission mode project to support the Blue Economy Initiatives of the Government of India.

With an emphasis on the development of deep-sea technology, the Deep Ocean Mission consists of development of manned Submersible rated for 6,000 metre water depth along with technologies for deep-sea mining, exploration of deep-sea mineral resources, and marine
biodiversity.

Some of the critical subsystems of the manned submersibles are development of Ti Alloy Personnel Sphere, Human support and safety system in enclosed space, low density buoyancy modules, Ballast and Trim System. Pressure compensated batteries and propulsion system, control and communication systems and Launching and Recovery System.

System design, concept of operation, subcomponents functionality and integrity, emergency rescue, failure mode analysis are reviewed and certified as per the rules of International Association of Classification and Certification Society for man-rated usage of manned submersible at a depth of 6000 meters.
www.business-standard.com

Samudrayaan: India's first mission to send humans 6,000 metre deep in ocean

Samudrayaan Mission is aimed to develop a self-propelled manned submersible which will allow scientific personnel to observe and understand unexplored deep-sea areas by direct interventions.
www.business-standard.com www.business-standard.com
 
RISING SUN said:

India's deep ocean mission to study origins of life soon: Govt​

India will soon scour the ocean bed to unravel the mysteries of the origins of life as scientists are set to travel up to 6,000 metres below the sea surface under a deep ocean mission (DOM).

Initially, the Rs 4,077-crore mission will entail scientists travelling to a depth of 500 metres to test various technologies being developed for the purpose before taking a deeper dive into the unknown.

"Some of the mysteries about the origins of life still persist. There are theories that life originated in hydrothermal vents which exist at a depth of four to five kilometres in the ocean," M Ravichandran, Secretary, Ministry of Earth Sciences, told PTI.

"It is completely dark at the depth of four to five kilometres, but there are living organisms. How is life born at that depth, how does life survive? The deep ocean mission will also help us understand this," he said.

The DOM will also help India map the ocean bed, which is a rich source for metals and minerals, Ravichandran said, adding that the mission will help scientists identify and demarcate resource-rich areas which could be exploited later when suitable technology is available for deep-sea mining.

The exploration studies of minerals will pave the way for commercial exploitation in the near future as and when such a code is evolved by the International Seabed Authority, he said.

"Right now, we roughly know that such resources are available in a given area, and the DOM will help us know the specifics," Ravichandran added.

The DOM could also lead to the development of various technologies such as acoustic phones, components that withstand a high-pressure environment, research vessels and related infrastructure, he said.

The technologies required for deep-sea mining have strategic implications and are not commercially available, Ravichandran said, adding that attempts will be made to adopt indigenous technologies by collaborating with leading institutes and private industries, the official said.

Ravichandran said this mission is also directed towards capacity development in marine biology which will provide job opportunities in Indian industries.
www.indiatoday.in

India's deep ocean mission to study origins of life soon: Govt

India will soon launch its own deep-sea mission to study the origins of life on earth. The mission will focus on using indigenous technology.
www.indiatoday.in www.indiatoday.in
Click to expand...
economictimes.indiatimes.com

Minerals in Indian Ocean can turn India self-sufficient in nickel, cobalt: International Seabed Authority chief

"India was one of the very first pioneer investors in deep sea mining, starting from the 1980s. In recent years, there has been enormous progress. Under the Deep Ocean Mission, India's progress was phenomenal. India has the potential to become a global leader in deep sea mineral exploration and...
economictimes.indiatimes.com economictimes.indiatimes.com
 
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