Central idea

Hope Dwindling for Titan Submersible: The Titan submersible lost all crew in an underwater implosion.
Indigenous Indian Submersible: Indian scientists are preparing to undertake a similar dive in an indigenous vehicle called Matsya-6000.

What is Samudrayaan Mission?

Samudrayaan is a mega mission related to the ocean/sea-launched in October 2021.
It 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 seeks to carry out deep ocean exploration of non-living resources such as polymetallic manganese nodules, gas hydrates, hydro-thermal sulfides, and cobalt crusts, located at a depth between 1000 and 5500 meters.

Developed indigenously, MATSYA 6000 is a manned submersible vehicle.
It will facilitate the Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES) in conducting deep ocean exploration.
It has an endurance of 12 hours of operational period and 96 hours in case of emergency, according to the ANI news agency.
The manned submersible will allow scientific personnel to observe and understand unexplored deep-sea areas by direct intervention.

Design specifications

Titanium Enclosure: Matsya-6000 features a titanium casing on the front and back, chosen over carbon fiber for enhanced safety.
Syntactic Foam: The submersible is equipped with syntactic foam, a flotation device that helps determine its location even if it cannot resurface.

Huge coastline: India has a unique maritime position, a 7517 km long coastline, which is home to nine coastal states and 1,382 islands.
Blue Economy: The mission aims to boost the Central government’s vision of ‘New India’ that highlights the Blue Economy as one of the ten core dimensions of growth.
Coastal Economy: For India, with its three sides surrounded by the oceans and around 30% 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.

Precautions in Place: The Indian scientists working on Matsya-6000 assure multiple back-up safety measures for the crew.
Safety System Reviews: There may be reviews of the employed safety systems in light of the Titan submersible incident.
Test Dives and Depth Limit: Prior to the main dives, NIOT divers will undertake test dives up to 500 meters inside a steel submersible.
Titanium vs. Steel: Titanium, being stronger yet lighter than steel, is preferred for resurfacing ease and balancing extreme ocean depths.
Spherical Hull Perfection: The submersible’s hull must be perfectly spherical to evenly distribute extreme pressure at ocean depths.

Reviewing Safety Measures: The incident involving the Titan submersible prompts a reevaluation and rechecking of safety measures for the Matsya-6000 mission.
Incorporating Lessons Learned: The accident serves as a learning opportunity to enhance the safety and reliability of the upcoming Indian mission.