Why in News?
India’s deep-sea manned mission Samudrayaan — aimed at sending a human-occupied submersible to 6,000 metres — is facing delays due to the late arrival of syntactic foam cladding from France, which is essential for buoyancy and safe deep-sea operations.
Description:
Key Features of Samudrayaan:
| A. Objective | B. Vehicle Specifications (MATSYA-6000) | C. Mission Architecture |
| Enable manned exploration of deep ocean for: Mineral resourcesBiodiversity studiesGeological & geophysical dataSampling of soil and rocks | 3-member crew capacity: Titanium alloy sphereDesigned for 6,000 m depthCapable of staying submerged for 10–12 hoursLife support for 96 hours in emergencies | Part of India’s Deep Ocean Mission (MoES). Collaboration mainly between NIOT, ISRO materials teams, and international partners (for critical components). |
Syntactic Foam — Why It Matters:
- A composite material of hollow glass microspheres + epoxy resin. Essential cladding material for deep-sea submersibles.
- Provides positive buoyancy under extreme pressure at depths up to 600 bar (pressure at ~6,000 m).
- Delay in procurement from France is postponing upcoming sea trials.
Additional Facts:
- Only a few countries operate manned submersibles at 6,000 m (USA, China, Japan, France).
- MATSYA-6000: Human Occupied Vehicle (HOV) designed by NIOT, Chennai for 6,000 m depth.
Key Terms:
- Titanium Sphere: Pressure-resistant crew module for human occupancy.
- Polymetallic nodules: Polymetallic nodules, also called manganese nodules, are mineral concretions on the sea bottom formed of concentric layers of iron and manganese hydroxides around a core.
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