Published : 2024-06-27
On 27 June 2012, the Jiaolong (蛟龍號), a manned submersible independently designed by China, conducted its fifth dive test in the Mariana Trench in the western Pacific Ocean. The depth reached 7,062.68 metres, refreshing the maximum dive depth of similar submersibles worldwide.
Jiaolong started its dive at 5:29 am that day, beginning its fifth dive in the 7,000-metre class sea trial. Over three hours later, at 11:47 am, Jiaolong reached a depth of 7,062.68 metres underwater, exceeding the previous dive depth by 43 metres and setting a new record.
Subsequently, Jiaolong surfaced successfully at 12:36 pm, having stayed underwater for approximately 11 hours, and successfully retrieved sediment samples from the seabed.
The main purpose of Jiaolong's sea trials was to test its function and performance as a scientific research tool. Through tests at different depths, Jiaolong made targeted improvements and carried out the next stage of testing under safe conditions.
China has become the fifth country in the world to master deep-sea manned submersible technology, following the United States, France, Russia, and Japan.
The ability to dive to 7,000 metres means that Jiaolong can be used in 99.8% of the ocean, which is significant for China's development and utilisation of deep-sea resources.
