A new submarine has plunged deeper into the ocean than any human has gone before.
Nereus, a robotic submarine, has completed a dive of almost seven miles in the Pacific Ocean. The dive marks the deepest point any man-made vessel has ever been.
The robot sub is unmanned and controlled by pilots aboard a ship on the ocean surface. Pilot commands are sent via a fibre-optic cable. Nereus can also be set to a ‘free-swimming’ mode, where it can explore uncontrolled for a short period of time.
An on-board camera takes video footage of the deep, which is relayed back to the control panel on board the ship. Nereus is also capable of taking samples from the sea floor to bring to the surface.
Andy Bowen, principle developer of the submarine, said “I believe it marks the start of a new era in ocean exploration." Experts hope that the new vessel will allow them to start cataloguing one of the darkest and most mysterious places on the planet – the bottom of the ocean.
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The sea? Deep space? The centre of the Earth? Where would you like to go exploring? Share your thoughts in the box below.
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