What is Project Samudrayaan? Submersible Matsya to take a dip in Bay of Bengal next year

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“Project Samudrayaan” was not a widely and officially recognized project. However, it’s possible that this project may have been initiated or gained attention somehow. This project is India’s first ocean mission launched in order to better understand ocean ecology through having niche technology and vehicles that carry out subsea activities.  

What is Project Samudrayaan Mission exactly?

Dr. Jitendra Singh, the Union Minister, informed the Rajya Sabha that the Samudrayaan Project was begun in September 2021 under the Deep Ocean Mission with a budget of Rs 119 Crores. The total budget allocated, disbursed, and expenditure for the Samudrayaan Project since its started is Rs 119 cr.

Implementation and Accomplishments of the Project Samudrayaan:

Since the project started with deep-sea explorations, a primary trial of Deep Ocean Exploration for Polymetallic Manganese Nodule at The Central Indian Ocean basin executed in December 2022, the minister stated. This trial involved the usage of an Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (Ocean Mineral Explorer with depth of 5270 m) to accumulate geophysical, oceanographic, and seabed information at a depth of 5270 metre. 

The Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES) and the National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research (NCPOR) amassed together for extensive oceanographic, geological, geophysical and biological data from the deep-sea areas which surround the mid-ocean ridges in the Indian Ocean.

The objective of the mission was very clear to scrutinise committed sites for multi-metal hydrothermal sulphides.

An analysis of the data, as well as the integration and apprehension of the statistics, revealed many prospective locations of hydrothermal venting and mineralization on the Indian Ocean seafloor.

Moreover, the mapping and identification of previously unknown biological species have also been obtained in this trial.

What is Samudrayaan Mission About?

Project Samudrayaan

Samudrayaan is India’s first ocean mission that has been launched with an aim to better understand ocean ecology while having the niche technology and vehicles to perform the subsea activities.

Mandate: Samudrayaan Mission goals are to take humans into the deep sea on a submersible vehicle to explore the deep-ocean and to get the experience of mining of rare minerals.

Parent Ministry for this mission: Samudrayaan Mission is a project of the Ministry of Earth Sciences which will take place under its Deep Ocean Mission Project.

Timeline of the project: The projected deadline of Samudrayaan Mission is five years under the period 2020-2021 to 2025-2026.

Check Some More Details Regarding This Project

Parent Mission for this project: Samudrayaan Mission is being implemented as a part of the Rs 6000-crores Deep Ocean Mission. National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT), an autonomous institute under MoES, is entrusted with the responsibility to develop various technologies related to the Samudrayaan Mission.

Technological Development: National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT) has developed 6000 m depth rated Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) and several other underwater equipments to  explore the deep sea, such as- 

Autonomous Coring System (ACS),

Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV) and

Deep Sea Mining System (DSM)

Significance of the mission: The submersible will allow scientific personnel to observe and apprehend unexplored deep sea areas through interventions. 

Further, it will enhance the capability of exploration of deep sea, a man rated vehicle development. 

MATSYA 6000– Technological Development under this Samudrayaan Mission. Let us take a look into this: 

Submersible Vehicle: The goal of Samudrayaan Mission is to develop a self-propelled manned submersible which can carry at least three human beings to a water depth of 6000 metres in the deep sea with a suite of scientific sensors and instruments for deep ocean exploration. 

It has an endurance of 12 hours for operational period and 96 hours in case of emergency.

Significance of Matsya 6000: 

It will be aiding to conduct a deep sea exploration of several valuable resources such as- 

  1. Polymetallic manganese nodules,
  2. Hydro-thermal sulphides, and
  3. Gas hydrates
  4. Cobalt crusts

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