The depths of the oceans still have much to reveal. To harness the full potential of the ocean floor and explore new realities unknown to mankind, the Deep Ocean Mission is the flag bearer for deep sea exploration in this country. The depths of the Indian Ocean have a lot. They are very rich in polymetallic nodules. It is estimated that there are 380 million tonnes of polymetallic nodules in the Central Indian Ocean region, which have been allocated to India by the International Seabed Authority for exploration purposes.
Thank you to technological advancements, India is poised to compete with other countries like the US, China, Russia, France and Japan, which have already started sending crewed missions to the deep sea to explore the scientific and economic benefits of the seabed.
As part of the deep sea mission, India will focus on exploring India’s exclusive economic zone and continental shelf for traces of important mineral deposits and new life. Many crewed and uncrewed missions will be sent into the deep ocean to search for polymetallic nodules and other important minerals such as manganese, nickel, cobalt, copper and iron hydroxide. As technology advances, the missions will also attempt to extract these minerals from the seabed.
The minerals found in the depths of the sea can be used to manufacture electronic devices, smartphones, batteries, solar cells, etc.
The ambitious Deep Ocean Mission is an initiative of the Ministry of Earth Sciences launched in June 2021 that aims to make India technologically capable of exploring the unexplored and unutilized potential of the deep sea.
Key aspects of the mission include :
Exploring the deep oceans for developing a better understanding of the blue frontier.
Becoming technologically advanced to begin Deep Sea Mining and Submersible Crewed Missions.
Developing underwater vehicles and underwater robotics for deep sea exploration and extraction.
Exploring and conserving the biodiversity of the deep sea.
Explore the ocean bed for important mineral deposits.
Harvesting freshwater and energy from the ocean currents
Setting up of Advanced Marine Stations for Ocean biology where research related to aquatic life can be done.
To address issues of temperature rise from long term changes in the Ocean due to climate change.
To develop technology for exploring a deep sea living (biodiversity) and nonliving resources (minerals) of the sea.
To develop underwater vehicles and underwater robotics.
Understanding the sea and becoming capable of providing Ocean climate change advisory services.
To identify Technology innovations and conservation methods for sustainable utilization of marine bio resources
To develop offshore based salination techniques for providing freshwater through the oceans.
To develop renewable energy generation techniques.
What is Samudrayaan Mission?
A sub mission of the Deep Ocean Mission, Samudrayaan is another initiative of the Ministry of Earth Sciences that is going to be India’s first manned Deep Ocean mission. Under this mission the National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT) is expected to release a deep ocean exploration vessel MATSYA 6000 for the exploration of the deep sea in 2026.
The Sumdrayaan Mission aims to send a crewed deep sea mission to the depth of 6000 meters i.e. upto 6kms in the submersible deep sea vehicle ‘MATSTA 6000’. The purpose of the mission is going to be understanding the unexplored deep sea and harnessing the true potential of the blue frontier. Developing the blue economy and find sustainable ways to harness economic growth from the oceans is also a sub initiative this mission has.
What is MATSYA 6000?
The MATSYA 6000 is India’s first manned submersible deep ocean exploration vehicle designed and developed by the National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT). It has the capacity to send a three crew member mission to the depths of the oceans. It is constructed out of titanium alloy which is 80 mm thick and is shaped like a sphere of diameter 2.1 meters so that it can endure a 600 times greater hydraulic pressure at the 6 km depth of the ocean.
The vessel can operate for as long as 16 hours and has oxygen supply support of at least 96 hours. For ensuring safety, The vessel is also equipped with USLB (ultra-short baseline) acoustic positioning system. The target of this vessel is to reach the depth of 6000 meters which is well suggested by its name. At this great depth, this submersible deep ocean vessel is going to search for the presence of polymetallic nodules and other important sulfide minerals.
What is the National Institute of Ocean Technology’s VARAHA?
The deep ocean mining system designed by the National Institute of ocean Technology is named after the 10th incarnation of Lord Vishnu. VARAHA is India’s first deep ocean mining system that is designed to mine polymetallic nodules and other important minerals from the ocean bed. It is a self propelled seabed mining system unlike the MATSYA 6000. Its job is to collect and pump nodules from the ocean bed for a long duration from a depth of 6000 meters.
Conclusion
India’s deep ocean mission is an ambitious initiative. It will lead India to become a developed economy at a rate faster than what it is already growing. The deep ocean mission allows us to understand the peculiarities of the oceans and the unexplored biodiversity that needs to be conserved. By harnessing the potential of the oceans India can become one of the global masters that control world trade today. This initiative of India also incorporates a noble aim. It addresses the temperature changes occurring in the ocean due to the long term climate change. It helps in finding solutions to decrease the rate at which the ocean temperature is rising.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs):-
Q.1 What is India’s Deep Ocean Mission?
India’s Deep Ocean Mission, launched by the Ministry of Earth Sciences, aims to explore and exploit the rich resources of the deep sea, including polymetallic nodules and other minerals.
Q.2 What are polymetallic nodules?
Polymetallic nodules are small rock concretions found on the ocean floor, rich in minerals like manganese, nickel, cobalt, copper, and iron hydroxide.
Q.3 What is the significance of the MATSYA 6000?
MATSYA 6000 is India’s first manned submersible deep ocean exploration vehicle, designed to operate at depths of up to 6000 meters, aiming to explore polymetallic nodules and sulfide minerals.
Q.4 What is the objective of the Samudrayaan Mission?
Samudrayaan, a sub-mission of India’s Deep Ocean Mission, aims to conduct India’s first deep ocean mission using the MATSYA 6000 to explore the deep sea and develop the blue economy.
Q.5 How does India plan to benefit economically from the Deep Ocean Mission?
India aims to extract valuable minerals from the ocean floor essential for manufacturing electronic devices, smartphones, batteries, solar panels, and more, contributing to economic growth.
Q.6 What technological advancements are involved in the Deep Ocean Mission?
The mission involves developing advanced technologies for deep sea mining, submersible crewed missions, underwater vehicles, robotics, and renewable energy generation from ocean currents.
Q.7 How does the Deep Ocean Mission contribute to biodiversity conservation?
It aims to explore and conserve the biodiversity of the deep sea, helping in understanding unique ecosystems and minimizing environmental impact from deep sea mining activities.
Q.8 What is VARAHA in the context of India’s Deep Ocean Mission?
VARAHA is India’s first self-propelled seabed mining system designed to collect polymetallic nodules and minerals from the ocean floor at depths of 6000 meters.
Q.9 How does the Deep Ocean Mission address climate change challenges?
The mission addresses ocean temperature rise and long-term climate change impacts by developing technologies for sustainable utilization of marine resources and providing climate change advisory services.
Q.10 What are Advanced Marine Stations for Ocean biology under the Deep Ocean Mission?
These stations are intended for advanced research on marine biology, focusing on the biodiversity of the deep sea and its potential for scientific discovery and conservation
