Submersibles: Titan to MATSYA Explained - Current Affairs

Q1: What happened to the Titan submersible in the Atlantic Ocean?

A1: The Titan submersible, operated by OceanGate Expeditions, was imploded in the Atlantic Ocean.

Q2: What lessons does the Titan tragedy offer for the proposed Indian submersible dive? A2: The Titan tragedy offers lessons for the proposed Indian submersible dive because India is in the process of designing the submersible called 'MATSYA 6000'. By studying the Titan incident, India can learn from any mistakes or shortcomings to ensure the safety and success of their own submersible.

Q3: What is the purpose of the Titan submersible's expeditions? A3: The expeditions of the Titan submersible were meant to document the Titanic and its rate of decay on the ocean floor.

Q4: What is the difference between a submarine and a submersible? A4: While there can be some overlap, a submarine is an underwater vehicle that is largely independent and has power reserves to depart from and return to a port after an expedition. On the other hand, a submersible is generally smaller in size and has less power, requiring it to be launched and recovered using a ship.

Q5: Who is designing and developing the 'MATSYA 6000' submersible? A5: The 'MATSYA 6000' submersible is being designed and developed by the National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT), Chennai, under the Ministry of Earth Sciences in India.

Q6: What are the capabilities of the 'MATSYA 6000' submersible? A6: The 'MATSYA 6000' submersible is designed to carry three persons to a depth of 6000 meters for exploration of deep-sea resources like minerals in the Indian Ocean. It has an endurance of 12 hours under normal operation and 96 hours in case of emergencies for human safety.

Q7: What is the Deep Ocean Mission and its objectives? A7: The Deep Ocean Mission is a multi-ministerial, multi-disciplinary program approved by the Indian government. It aims to develop deep-sea technology, including a manned submersible capable of reaching 6000 meters water depth, technologies for deep-sea mining, exploration of deep-sea mineral resources and marine biodiversity, ocean climate change advisory services, deep-sea surveys and exploration, and capacity building in Marine Biology.

Q8: What is the purpose of the Deep Ocean Mission in India? A8: The purpose of the Deep Ocean Mission in India is to boost the central government's vision of 'New India,' which emphasizes the blue economy as one of the ten core dimensions of growth. India's extensive coastline and islands make it crucial to explore and harness the resources and potential of the deep ocean.

Q9: When was the National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT) established and under which ministry does it operate? A9: The National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT) was established in November 1993 as an autonomous society under the Ministry of Earth Sciences, Government of India.

Q10: What are the objectives of the National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT)? A10: The objectives of the National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT) are to develop reliable indigenous technologies to solve various engineering problems associated with harvesting non-living and living resources in the Indian Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), which covers about two-thirds of the land area of India.