DSV Shinkai 6500
The Shinkai 6500 (しんかい) is a manned research submersible that can dive up to a depth of 6,500 metres (21,300 ft). It was completed in 1990 and it had the greatest depth range of any manned research vehicle in the world until June 19, 2012, where its record was beaten by Jiaolong, which dived at 6,965 metres (22,851 ft).[1] The Shinkai 6500 is owned and run by the Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC) and it is launched from the support vessel Yokosuka.
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| History | |
|---|---|
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| Name: | Shinkai 6500 |
| In service: | 1989 |
| General characteristics | |
| Type: | Deep-submergence vehicle |
| Length: | 9.5 m (31 ft) |
| Beam: | 2.7 m (8.9 ft) |
| Draft: | 3.2 m (10 ft) |
| Installed power: | electric motor |
| Speed: | 2.5 knots (4.6 km/h; 2.9 mph) |
| Endurance: | 129h |
| Test depth: | 6,500 m (21,300 ft) |
| Complement: | 3 |
Two pilots and one researcher operate within a 73.5 mm-thick (2.89 in) titanium pressure hull with an internal diameter of 2.0 metres (6 ft 7 in). Buoyancy is provided by syntactic foam.
Three 14 cm (5.5 in) methacrylate resin view ports are arranged at the front and on each side of the vehicle.
A Lego set based on the submersible was created through the Lego Cuusoo website.
References
- "Jiaolong dives to 6,965m". Chinadaily. 2012-06-20. Retrieved 2015-09-02.
External links
- JAMSTEC Shinkai 6500 page
- On June 23, 2013, the world's first live broadcast from 5,000 metres deep was carried out by the Shinkai 6500
