We talked a couple of days ago about progress being made on SpaceShipTwo, the spacecraft at the heart of Sir Richard Branson’s Virgin Galactic enterprise. But Branson is interested in exploration in the opposite direction as well, planning dives to the deepest points in the world’s oceans with his Virgin Oceanic project.
The plan is to take a small one-person sub (originally commissioned by the late adventurer Steve Fossett) to the deepest point of each of the Earth’s oceans. The sub is designed to withstand pressures no human has ever travelled through previously, more than 1,000 times the air pressure at sea level. The maximum known depth of the Mariana Trench in the Pacific (the deepest point on Earth) is about 11.03 kilometers or 6.78 miles.
Although this is currently an exploration initiative, it would be surprising if successful completion of the planned dives didn’t eventually lead to passenger-carrying subs, in the style of the Virgin Galactic business. Would you want to dive to the deepest point on Earth? Let us know in the comments.
I like how everyone calls richard branson a genius for doing this when all he did was pay geniuses like dr. hawke to build the submarine for him. i bet on the first dive down we’re going to lose contact with the sub and we’re never going to see them again. if it isn’t godzilla or the chthulu that kidnaps him and his shuttle, he’s going to at least lose contact for awhile. even the military’s best satellite internettransmitters have trouble connecting to their subs that are only a mile or two under the surface.
Hello Dave,
thank you for this great article.
Would I wanna dive that deep? Yes, I would if I could afford it and if there would be live under the ocean at that depth.
Yes, if it is anything like that underwater tour in the video, then definitely yes I want to go there.
That video is in one word magnificently awesome.
Take care,
nick