DeepFlight Challenger: Difference between revisions

'''DeepFlight Challenger''' is a one-person [[personal submarinesubmersible]] [[deep submergence vehicle]]built with fullthe oceanintention depthof capability. It is an "aero-submarine" which uses hydrodynamic forces to descend, asreaching the sub[[Challenger has positive buoyancyDeep]], utilizing [[Hawkes_Ocean_Technologies#DeepFlight|DeepFlight]] technology from [[Hawkes Ocean Technologies]]. The [[submarine]]submersible is currently{{when|date=June 2023}} owned by [[Virgin Oceanic]].

The submarinesubmersible was designed by [[Graham Hawkes]] and [[Hawkes Ocean Technologies]] (HOT). It was originally ordered by [[Steve Fossett]] for an attempt on the [[Challenger Deep]], to become the first solo dive there.<ref name=VOsub>Virgin Oceanic, [http://www.virginoceanic.com/vehicles/submersible/ Sub] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110807063844/http://www.virginoceanic.com/vehicles/submersible/ |date=August 7, 2011 }} (accessed 27 March 2012)</ref><ref name="CNet-2008-10-03">CNet News, [http://news.cnet.com/8301-13772_3-10057877-52.html?tag=mncol;txt Steve Fossett's unfinished legacy: Deepest ocean exploration], Daniel Terdiman, 3 October 2008 (accessed 27 March 2012)</ref> Planning for the submarinesubmersible started in 2000.<ref name="NYT-2012-03-27">New York Times, [http://green.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/03/27/the-challengers-deep-sea-brethren/ "The Challenger’s Deep-Sea Brethren"], Andy Isaacson, 27 March 2012 (accessed 27 March 2012)</ref> It was put on the ordersheetorder sheet in 2005, with a depth capability of {{convert|37,000|ft|m|order=flip}}.<ref name="NYT-2012-03-27"/><ref name=DFCinfosheet>Hawkes Ocean Technologies, [http://www.deepflight.com/Infosheet1DeepFlIght%20Challenger.pdf Infosheet DeepFlight Challenger] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120315034725/http://www.deepflight.com/Infosheet1DeepFlIght%20Challenger.pdf |date=2012-03-15 }} (accessed 27 March 2012)</ref> The craft was named ''Challenger'' by Fossett after the Challenger Deep.<ref name=DFCinfosheet/> At the time of the order, this would have doubled the depth that a single-place sub would be capable of going.<ref name=DFCinfosheet/> It was to have been a "secret project" of Fossett's to be the first to solo the Challenger Deep, and was secret at the time of his death in 2007.<ref name="NYT-2012-03-27"/><ref name="KGO-2008-10-02">KGO-TV ABC 7, [httphttps://abclocal.goabc7news.com/kgoarchive/story?section=news6429493/local/east_bay&id=6429493 "Fossett's secret project was built in Richmond"] , Thursday 2 October 2008 (accessed 27 March 2012)</ref> The project was put on hold when Fossett died, and locked up in a warehouse at Hawkes Ocean Technologies, by the then owners, Fossett's estate,<ref name="CNet-2008-10-03"/> but was later revived when Chris Welsh of [[Deep Sub LLC]] bought the unfinished sub and restarted the program in 2010. Welsh had purchased the sub and the yacht {{Ship||Cheyenne|catamaran|2}} from the Fossett estate for around $1 million. Virgin Oceanic came in as sponsors a year later in 2011.<ref name="BoingBoing-2011-04-05">Boing Boing, [http://boingboing.net/2011/04/05/sir-richard-branson.html "Richard Branson launches Virgin Oceanic: deep-sea exploring submarines"], Xeni Jardin, 5 April 2011 (accessed 27 March 2012)</ref><ref name="LAT-2011-04-06">Los Angeles Times, [httphttps://articleswww.latimes.com/2011local/la-xpm-2011-apr/-06/local/-la-me-0406-branson-submarine-20110406-story.html "With spaceships and airplanes under his belt, Richard Branson turns to submarines"], Mike Reicher and Kurt Streeter, 6 April 2011 (accessed 27 March 2012)</ref><ref name=VOteam>Virgin Oceanic, [http://www.virginoceanic.com/team/operations-team/ Operations Team] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110927011151/http://www.virginoceanic.com/team/operations-team/ |date=2011-09-27 }} (accessed 27 March 2012)</ref> At the time of Fossett's death, the sub had been almost finished,<ref name="CNet-2008-10-03"/><ref name="SFgate-2008-10-12">San Francisco Chronicle, [http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/10/11/SPM013EB4B.DTL "Winged sub almost ready to go very deep"], Tom Stienstra, 12 October 2008 (accessed 27 March 2012)</ref> only four weeks from dive tests<ref name="CBS-2011-04-05"/> and delivery.<ref name="CNN-2009-09-11">CNN, [http://www.cnn.com/2009/TECH/09/11/underwater.submersible/#cnnSTCText "Super-light sub has 'capability greater than U.S. Navy'"], Mairi Mackay, 11 September 2009 (accessed 27 March 2012)</ref> This sub is the first deep-diving sub to be constructed with a [[pressure hull]] (central tube portion) of [[carbon fibre composite]], built by [[Spencer Composites]] for HOT. Its carbon fiber design would later influence the tube for the sub [[Titan (submersible)|Titan]],<ref name=CW-20170510> {{cite magazine |url= https://www.compositesworld.com/articles/composite-submersibles-under-pressure-in-deep-deep-waters |title= Composite submersibles: Under pressure in deep, deep waters |author= Jeff Sloan |date= 10 May 2017 |magazine= Composites World }} </ref> which [[Titan submersible implosion|imploded]]. Simulations showed that the most likely cause of the implosion was failure of the carbon fiber hull.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Simulation Reveals Exactly How Titan Submersible Imploded |url=https://www.engineering.com/story/simulation-reveals-exactly-how-titan-submersible-imploded |access-date=2023-07-22 |date=July 18, 2023 |website=Engineering.com}}</ref>

The submarinesubmersible uses composite technology to create a lightweight sub with great depth capabilities. The viewdomeview dome is made from quartz, while the rest of the pressure hull uses carbon/epoxy composites. The interface between dome and hull is by bonded titanium rings. The sub has a 24-hour endurance, {{convert|3|kn|km/h}} bottom speed, and {{cvt|350|ft/min|order=flip}} dive rate.<ref name=VOsub/><ref name="CBS-2011-04-05">CBS News, [httphttps://www.cbsnews.com/storiesnews/2011with-virgin-oceanic-branson-wants-to-go-deep-really-deep/04/05/tech/cnettechnews/main20050993.shtml "With Virgin Oceanic, Branson wants to go deep, really deep"], 5 April 2011 (accessed 27 March 2012)</ref><ref name="CW-2010-08-31">Composites World, [http://www.compositesworld.com/articles/deepsea-submersible-incorporates-composite-pressure-capsule "Deepsea submersible incorporates composite pressure capsule"], Sara Black, 31 August 2010 (accessed 27 March 2012)</ref> Without ballast attached, theThe sub is positively buoyant, it uses [[syntactic foam]] for buoyancy, and is positively buoyant when no ballast is attached. The submarinesubmersible does not have a temperature control system for the cabin, so interior temperature eventually falls to water temperature.<ref name="NYT-2012-03-27"/><ref name=VOkids>Virgin Oceanic, [http://www.virginoceanic.com/archives/726/ Branson Answers Kids Questions] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120313113625/http://www.virginoceanic.com/archives/726/ |date=2012-03-13 }}, 2012 Jan 19 (accessed 27 March 2012)</ref> The sub weighs {{convert|8000|lb|order=flip}}, and does not need a dedicated mothership.<ref name="CNet-2008-10-03"/><ref name=DFCinfosheet/> It has a {{convert|15|nmi|km|adj=on}} range, {{convert|6|kn|km/h}} maximum speed, and 3-axis freedom of motion. It uses [[light emitting diode|LED]] lighting instead of [[Arc lamp|arc lights]], and has a laser "feeler" beams to aid navigation.<ref name=DFCinfosheet/> The sub can dive to the bottom of the ocean and get back to the surface in 5 hours.<ref name="HOT-DFC">Hawkes Ocean Technologies, [http://deepflight.com/subs/df_challenger.htm DeepFlight Challenger] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100617013955/http://www.deepflight.com/subs/df_challenger.htm |date=2010-06-17 }} (accessed 27 March 2012)</ref> The design drew from ''DeepFlight II'', another Hawkes Ocean Technologies full depth submarinesubmersible.<ref>Hawkes Ocean Technologies, [http://deepflight.com/sponsors/opp_exps.htm Ocean Everest] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120315035708/http://www.deepflight.com/sponsors/opp_exps.htm |date=2012-03-15 }} (accessed 27 March 2012)</ref> The pressure hull is rated to withstand {{cvt|20000|psi|MPa|order=flip}} (more than the {{cvt|16000|psi|MPa|order=flip}} at the bottom of the [[Mariana Trench]]).<ref name="CNet-2008-10-03"/> The sub is smaller than James Cameron's {{Ship||Deepsea Challenger}}.<ref name="CNet-2012-03-26">CNet News, [http://news.cnet.com/8301-13772_3-57404597-52/cameron-and-branson-race-to-bring-urgent-attention-to-oceans/?tag=mncol;txt "Cameron and Branson race to bring urgent attention to oceans"], Daniel Terdiman, 26 March 2012 (accessed 27 March 2012)</ref> Challenger represents the third generation of [[Hawkes Ocean Technologies#DeepFlight|DeepFlight]] technology, one generation behind the {{Ship||DeepFlight Super Falcon}}.<ref name="PopMech-2011-04-08">Popular Mechanics, [http://www.popularmechanics.com/technology/engineering/extreme-machines/questions-for-graham-hawkes-the-man-who-built-the-deep-flight-challenger-submersible "Q&A With Graham Hawkes, the Man Who Built the Deep Flight Challenger Submersible"], Sarah Fecht, 8 April 2011 (accessed 4/4/2012)</ref>

; 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 viewdomeview dome due to a manufacturing defect.<ref name="NYT-2012-03-27"/>

; February 2012 : [[Alameda Naval Air Station]] (Oakland, California, US); Ballast system was tested. Submerged battery and engine testing, while mannedcrewed.<ref>Virgin Oceanic, [http://www.virginoceanic.com/archives/763/ Testing the Sub] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120313211501/http://www.virginoceanic.com/archives/763/ |date=2012-03-13 }}, 2012 Feb 21 (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, left,. howeverHowever, James Cameron's Deepsea Challenge project beat them to it in March 2012.<ref name="CNet-2012-03-26"/> There has been an undeclared race on to return to the Challenger Deep between four teams, Cameron's, Virgin Oceanic's, [[Google]]-[[Eric Schmidt|Schmidt]]/[[DOER Marine|DOER]]'s, and [[Triton Submarines|Triton submersibles]]'.<ref name="Macleans-2012-03-22">Macleans' Magazine, [http://www.macleans.ca/2012/03/22/a-giant-dive-for-mankind/ "James Cameron’s giant dive for mankind"], Kate Lunau, 22 March 2012 (accessed 27 March 2012)</ref> The attempt on Challenger Deep had been announced in April 2011.<ref name="PopMech-2011-04-08"/>

*[[Deepsea Challenge]], a program created by [[James Cameron]] and [[National Geographic (magazine)|National Geographic]], using the submarinesubmersible [[Deepsea Challenger]], that carries a crew of one and is the first and only one-person mannedcrewed vehicle to descend to the [[Challenger Deep]].<ref name="NatGeo-2012-03-25">National Geographic, [https://web.archive.org/web/20120326172212/http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2012/03/120325-james-cameron-mariana-trench-challenger-deepest-returns-science-sub/ "James Cameron Completes Record-Breaking Mariana Trench Dive"], Ker Than, 25 March 2012 (accessed 27 March 2012)</ref><ref name="BBC-2012-03-08-Cameron">BBC News, [https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-17013038 "Race to the bottom of the ocean: Cameron"], 8 March 2012 (accessed 27 March 2012)</ref>

*[[Triton Submarines|Triton Submarines LLC]], a Florida-based company that designs and manufactures private submarinessubmersibles, whose vehicle, ''[[Triton 36000/3]]'', will carry a crew of three to the seabed in 120 minutes.<ref name=Triton36000>Triton Submarines, [http://tritonsubs.com/submersibles/triton-360003/ "Triton 36,000 Full Ocean Depth Submersible"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120329032435/http://tritonsubs.com/submersibles/triton-360003/ |date=2012-03-29 }} (accessed 27 March 2012)</ref><ref name="BBC-2012-02-22-Triton">BBC News, [https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-17013029 "Race to the bottom of the ocean: Triton"], 22 February 2012 (accessed 27 March 2012)</ref>