Latest news with #SamudrayaanMission
Indian Express
07-07-2025
- Science
- Indian Express
Delhi Confidential: Beyond the blue
At a recent event, when someone asked Union Science Minister Jitendra Singh the all-important question — when will the first Indian astronaut blast off aboard the Gaganyaan Mission — he said India is working not just on sending someone up into space but also deep into the sea. Enter the Samudrayaan Mission, which aims to take Indians 6,000 metres below the ocean's surface to explore the deep blue frontier. When asked about the delay in launching either of the two ventures, the minister said the real goal is not just to send someone up or down, it's also to make sure they return safely to Earth. Cool & Comfortable Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Monday asked the officials of Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) not to operate air conditioners below 24 degrees minister's advice came during the 96th annual general meeting of the ICAR. Chouhan was sharing the dais with MoS, Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Bhagirath Chaudhary, MoS, Animal Husbandry, S P Singh Baghel and MoS (independent charge), Science and Technology, Jitendra Singh. It is learnt that soon after the meeting started, some of the ministers complained of the AC being too cold for comfort, prompting Chouhan to instruct the officials not to run the AC system below 24 degrees in future.
India Today
06-05-2025
- Science
- India Today
Samudrayaan: India likely to do second wet test before big Matsya-6000 dive
Months after India conducted the maiden wet test of the Samudrayaan Mission's Matsya-6000 submersible, engineers are looking at conducting a second wet test to validate the new system introduced. The National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT) in Chennai will likely conduct the second wet test after it integrates the newly arrived titanium exo-frame of the mission with the spherical sphere. "We have started receiving the equipment from the industry for the 500-meter dive. The titanium exo-frame has arrived at the NIOT and the team is integrating it following which the committee overlooking the development will meet to decide if we need a second wet test and when can it be done before the big 500-meter dive," Professor Balaji Ramakrishnan, Director, NIOT told The scientific payloads, including multiple oceanographic sensors, were thoroughly tested to confirm their functionality. (Photo: Sibiu Tripathi) The team is repopulating the instrument into the exo-frame as NIOT awaits the titanium sphere that will replace the current structure developed for testing. The sphere is the crew module that will house the crew and the life support systems. Satisfied with the maiden wet test, the teams are analysing the changes that need to be done before the second wet test that will likely take place before the end of 2025. WHAT HAPPENED ON FIRST WET TEST? The maiden wet test of India's giant ocean vehicle took place at the L&T Shipbuilding facility in Kattupalli Port near Chennai in February 2025. The wet test involved 10 dives, comprising five manned and five unmanned dives, to assess the robustness of power and control networks, floatation and stability, human support and safety systems, and maneuverability. The scientific payloads, including multiple oceanographic sensors, were thoroughly tested to confirm their functionality. Sources within the NIOT told that the team conducted six various types of tests which included an insulation test, flotation test, submergence test, and drop-test. A total of 10 engineers spent over three hours each during the manned tests. The team tested the functionality of the oxygen tanks in the spherical hull along with the carbon dioxide scrubbers that will be key to the life support system of Matsya-6000. They were joined by former Naval submariner J P Singh, who has been selected to pilot the submersible. NIOT is still aiming to conduct the 500 meter dive before 2026 and Prof Balajai added that the mission is on track when it comes to the timeline. Matsya-6000, a fourth-generation deep-ocean submersible, is designed to accommodate three humans within its 2.1-meter diameter spherical hull. The vehicle is equipped with advanced systems, including a main ballast system for diving, thrusters for movement, a battery bank for power, and syntactic foam for buoyancy.
