India to Send Manned Deep Sea Mission to Find Hidden Minerals In 2024

New Delhi: India has announced the launch of Expedition Samudrayan, the country's first-ever manned deep-sea mission, in 2024. "Three scientists will be sent to a depth of five kilometres in the sea to find hidden mineral deposits," said Jitendra Singh, Union Minister of State for Science and Technology.

The Samudrayan mission, as it is known, was started by the Centre in October of this year.

"With the launch of this unique ocean mission, India joins the elite club of nations such as the USA, Russia, Japan, France, and China that have such underwater vehicles for carrying out subsea activities," Singh said on October 30 at the launch ceremony in Chennai.

The National Institute of Ocean Technology is working on Samudrayan (NIOT). It would be part of the Deep Ocean Mission, which will be implemented over five years with a total expenditure of Rs 4,077 crore.

The MATSYA 6000 deep-sea vehicle's preliminary design was completed earlier this year.

The MATSYA 6000 has a titanium alloy personnel sphere with a 2.1-meter diameter enclosed chamber that can transport three people for 12 hours and a further 96 hours in an emergency.

According to Union Minister Singh, sea trials of the 500-metre rated shallow water version of the manned submersible are anticipated to take place in the final quarter of 2022. According to the MATSYA 6000, it will be ready for testing by the second quarter of 2024.

India will launch its first human space project, "Gaganyaan", in 2023, in addition to working on the first manned expedition to the ocean. After the United States, Russia, and China, India will be the fourth country to undertake a human spaceflight mission with Gaganyaan.

The goal of Gaganyaan, Singh told Parliament on Tuesday, is to show the capacity of sending humans to low earth orbit (LEO) onboard an Indian Launch Vehicle and safely returning them to Earth.