The NY Timeshas a piece todayabout the massive task of forging a air pressure hull out of raw atomic number 22 to be used in the replacement for the legendary Alvin , the Navy ’s only currently operational deep - ocean scientific sub that first explored the wreckage of the Titanic . Where Alvin could plunk 2.4 miles down , its replacement can go up to four sea mile under ( hence the serious forging above ) , which will open up 99 % of the sea floor for exploration . That ’s a pretty bad mountain . As Cindy L. Van Dover , a marine life scientist who has logged hundred of hours in Alvin , assign it :
“ Depth is a big deal , ” she say . “ It ’s punishing to wax lyric on the subject because we do n’t know what ’s there . So we ca n’t vouch a uncovering . Yet we know that every time we extend our ability to go somewhere , we discover new things about how the planet work , about how life on the major planet is adapted . ”
alas and as one might expect , the project ’s budget has billow ( atomic number 22 alone has had a 5x increase in monetary value since work commence ) , and researchers are stimulate to get creative to scrape up the necessary funding . So 2015 is now the still somewhat rickety current aim date for the big , badder sub ’s first dive . But before then , old Alvin may get some of its heir ’s new gear ( like its Ti gang sphere ) until the whole matter comes together . [ NY Times ]
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