the Drone has become the world’s first fully Autonomous unmanned underwater vehicle, managed to descend into this abyss. The operation was timed to the Victory Day. Vityaz “-D” was established by the Russian Vympel on the depth 10028 meters. The record was preceded by two test dives in the Japan and Philippine seas, at 2.4 and 5.2 thousand meters.
the Customer and the organizer of the expedition was organized by the Foundation for advanced studies (DRF). Deputy head of physico-technical research of FPI Victor Litvinenko told that the expedition was aimed to congratulate the country on holiday and to get information about the deepest point of the oceans.
Surprise was mark, which has been achieved. Hoped that he would have to dive deeper, because in 1957 the Mariana trench the depth sounder measured the Soviet research vessel “Vityaz”, in honor of which, incidentally, is called the apparatus. According to the abyss of the Challenger goes down at 11022 meters. That’s why the drone was built with a depth of 12 kilometers.
– On materials Geophysical Institute of RAS, this is where lithospheric plates converge. Rocks we have found. There is quite smooth, most likely, mud bottom, where I discovered a powerful current. It is not excluded that in 60 odd years that have elapsed since the measurements, it has cleared a mile of silt. Vityaz “-D” carried to a considerable distance, but he regularly passed on their coordinates and we found it. This factor will be considered when the following dives, – said Victor Litvinenko.
meanwhile, it is the connection with the device, according to Dmitry Semenova, the chief designer of Central design Bureau for marine engineering “Rubin” – the head executor of the project, until the very last moment worried about its creators most of all.
– most submersibles diving depth does not exceed six miles. Will tell you why. Armed with this technology, you can explore up to 90 percent of the World’s oceans. Anything below 8-10 thousand meters separate areas of the basin. Underwater vehicles for them to create more complicated, you need to consider a number of points, – explains the chief designer.
first, the housing must withstand enormous pressure, in this case 1200 kilograms per square centimeter. This, according to the scientist, if you are trying to keep on the tip of your finger with a small car. The hull design was tested in special huge chamber.
second, to work at such depths is needed to create a special control system, electronic equipment, complex technical vision. And finally – the same one causing issues system hydroacoustic communication. Although the device is offline, how long to leave it out of sight will not riskLee.
– How to work the sonar the connection to such depths and will turn on it at all, we didn’t know. However, the designed system provided a continuous contact with the apparatus. This is one of the most important achievements, – says Dmitry Semenov, stressing that drone becomes manageable. If necessary, the operator may coordinate, to suspend or to continue the underwater mission.
“knight-D” was under observation all the time of the operation – nearly a day: 10 hours lasted the dive, three he spent at the bottom and 9.5 – surfaced. Of course, to lower and raise the device could and faster, but the car, as divers, must adapt to gradually rising or falling pressure. Any material that explains Dmitry Semenov, tend to accumulate fatigue, so they need to be treated with care.
There is one caveat: plunging, the device detects several parameters such as the speed of propagation of sound in water at different depths. They help to get an objective idea about the environment.
Resource device – 50 dives, and Victor Litvinenko does not exclude that in a year to the Mariana trench will leave a new expedition.
the desire to explore the depths of the Mariana trench, stated the famous travelers Fyodor Konyukhov and Artur Chilingarov. First expedition is planned for 2018, but when it became clear that the preparation takes more time, it was moved to 2021-th. Already there is talk that Vityaz “-D” could support brave Russians to be their “eyes and ears” in the abyss.
the Navy want Vityaz “-D” spelled out in them. According to the Deputy commander of the Pacific fleet armament rear Admiral Igor Korolev, the Navy has required for the operation of the device technical framework, court-media practical experience in the use of deepwater technology. But while the issue remains open.
According to Viktor Litvinenko, the “Vityaz-D” there are other contenders. The country has invested in the project a lot of money, and who gets the machine will be solved at the government level.
