Explorers livestream record-breaking manned submersible dive to Mariana Trench in China

On November 21, China live-streamed its record-breaking manned submersible dive to the deepest underwater valley of the Mariana Trench. China’s deep-sea submersible Fendouzhe (Striver) dived on the trench’s bottom-most pits at a depth of 10,909 meters (35,790 feet) in the western Pacific Ocean. At least three researchers onboard the submersible carried out the deep-sea scientific exploration, meanwhile a separate submarine, Canghai, transmitted high-definition signals to broadcast China’s new diving record on the deepest point of the planet.

According to the sources state-run CCTV, the historic mission was aired live using the 4K signal acquisition and transmission systems. The submersible descended down to more than 33,000 feet to park at the lowest point of Mariana Trench. The Scientific American describes that the crescent-shaped depression located somewhere between Hawaii and the Philippines in the Pacific Ocean “is so deep your bones would literally dissolve”.

The deepest pit on Earth is an estimated 1500 miles long, 43 miles wide on average, and has a crushing depth of almost 7 miles (or just under 36,201 feet). The ocean bed releases liquid sulfur and carbon dioxide and the pressure underneath is an estimated 1000 times as severe as compared to New York. According to the sources of National Geographic, the death of the dangerous trench can be explained in a way that if Mount Everest was submerged into this underwater valley, it’s the highest point (peak) that will submerge 7,000 feet below sea level.  

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Only 3 divers explored 'Challenger Deep'

The Challenger Deep, a point to the south of the Mariana Trench is the deepest and has the widest distance between the water’s surface and the deepest valley point. To date, only 3 divers are known to have explored the Challenger Deep. The first expedition was done in the year 1960 by divers  Jacques Piccard and Navy Lt. Don Walsh who reached the point on US Navy submersible and spend nearly 20 minutes.

50 years later, science fiction aficionado, Canadian filmmaker and environmentalist James Cameron launched a solo expedition to the Deep challenger in a submarine he designed all by himself. However, last year, CBS News reported that American Victor Vescovo broke the records after his submersible reached the seven miles down to the Mariana Trench during his four-hour sea expedition. In a shocking discovery, Vescovo found plastic waste settled down that point. 

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(Image Credit: Twitter/@thandojo/From CCTV)