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{{Italic title}}
{{update|date=August 2015}}
'''DeepFlight Challenger''' is a one-person [[
==History==
The
==Design==
The
==Test program==
; May 2007 : Penn State Applied Research Laboratory Building; Pressure test of the pressure hull to Mariana Trench like pressures. Passed test, except for a crack in the
; November 2007 : cancelled tests, in the wake of Steve Fossett's death.<ref name="CBS-2011-04-05"/>
; February 2012 : [[Alameda Naval Air Station]] (Oakland, California, US); Ballast system was tested. Submerged battery and engine testing, while
==Dive program==
===Five Dives project===
{{see also|Virgin Oceanic#Five Dives project}}
[[Richard Branson]] and Chris Welsh of [[Virgin Oceanic]] planned on using DeepFlight Challenger to reach the deepest point of each of the world's five oceans, the [[Mariana Trench]] of the [[Pacific Ocean]] ({{cvt|36201|ft|m ft|disp=or|order=out}}), the [[Puerto Rico Trench]] of the [[Atlantic Ocean]] ({{cvt|28232|ft|m ft|disp=or|order=out}}), the [[Diamantina Trench]] of the [[Indian Ocean]] ({{cvt|26401|ft|m ft|disp=or|order=out}}), [[South Sandwich Trench]] of the [[Southern Ocean]] ({{cvt|23737|ft|m ft|disp=or|order=out}}), and [[Molloy Deep]] of the [[Arctic Ocean]] ({{cvt|18399|ft|m ft|disp=or|order=out}}).<ref name="CBS-2011-04-05"/><ref name="CNet-2011-04-05">CNet News, [http://news.cnet.com/8301-13772_3-20050953-52.html?tag=mncol;txt With Virgin Oceanic, Branson plans to get deep], Daniel Terdiman, 5 April 2011 (accessed 27 March 2012)</ref><ref name="CNet-2011-04-05-">CNet News, [http://news.cnet.com/2300-11386_3-10007307.html "DeepFlight Challenger"], 5 April 2011 (accessed 27 March 2012)</ref> The ''Cheyenne'' yacht was to have been used as the mothership for the dive efforts.<ref name="Register-2011-04-06">The Register, [https://www.theregister.co.uk/2011/04/06/virgin_oceanic/ "Richard Branson to prowl oceans' hadal depths in flying sub"], Lester Haines, 6 April 2011 (accessed 27 March 2012)</ref>
It was planned that Branson would pilot the sub to the Puerto Rico Trench, while Chris Welsh would pilot it for the Mariana Trench dive.<ref name="CNet-2011-04-05"/> Virgin Oceanic had hoped to be the first team to solo to the bottom of the Mariana Trench, and first team to return to the Challenger Deep since the Bathyscaphe {{Ship||Trieste|bathyscaphe|2}}, the first submersible to dive to the Challenger Deep
Based on testing at high pressure, the ''DeepFlight Challenger'' was determined to be suitable only for a single dive, not the repeated uses that had been planned as part of Virgin Oceanic service. As such, in 2014, Virgin Oceanic scrapped plans for the five dives project using the ''DeepFlight Challenger'', as originally conceived, putting plans on hold until more suitable technologies are developed.<ref name=shelved2014>{{cite web |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/science/science-news/11291994/Sir-Richard-Branson-quietly-shelves-Virgin-submarine-plan.html |title=Sir Richard Branson quietly shelves Virgin submarine plan |last1=Mendick |first1=Robert |last2=Nicholls |first2=Dominic |date=13 Dec 2014 |access-date=15 Dec 2014 |work=The Telegraph}}</ref>
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== Similar efforts ==
As of February 2012, several other vehicles are under development to reach the same depths. The groups developing them include:<ref name="BBC-2012-02-22">BBC News, [https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-17041435 "Race to the bottom of the ocean"], 22 February 2012 (accessed 27 March 2012)</ref>
*[[Deepsea Challenge]], a program created by [[James Cameron]] and [[National Geographic (magazine)|National Geographic]], using the
*[[Triton Submarines|Triton Submarines LLC]], a Florida-based company that designs and manufactures private
* [[DOER Marine|Deep Ocean Exploration and Research (DOER) Marine]], a [[San Francisco Bay Area]] based marine technology company established in 1992, that is developing a vehicle, ''[[Deepsearch]]'' (and ''[[Ocean Explorer HOV Unlimited]]''), with some support from [[Google]]'s [[Eric Schmidt]] with which a crew of two or three will take 90 minutes to reach the seabed, as the program [[Deep Search]].<ref name="DOER Deep Search">DOER Marine, [http://www.doermarine.com/?page_id=704 "Deep Search"] (accessed 27 March 2012)</ref><ref name="BBC-2012-02-22-DOER">BBC News, [https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-17013032 "Race to the bottom of the ocean: DOER"], 22 February 2012 (accessed 27 March 2012)</ref>
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