View source for Deepsea Challenger

{{Short description|Submersible that traveled to the Challenger Deep}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2023}}
{{Use American English|date=July 2023}}
{|{{Infobox ship begin |display title=ital}}
{{Infobox ship image
|Ship image=[[File:Deepsea challenger deep-diving submersible DVC1.svg|220px|alt=Drawing of the DCV1]]
|Ship caption=Drawing of the DCV1, based on imagery from the ''Deepsea Challenger'' website (not to scale)
}}
{{Infobox ship career
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|Ship country=Australia
|Ship name= ''Deepsea Challenger''
|Ship ordered=
|Ship awarded=
|Ship builder=Acheron Project Pty Ltd
|Ship original cost=
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|Ship launched=26 January 2012
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|Ship in service=2012
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|Ship status=On display in touring exhibition
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{{Infobox ship characteristics
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|Ship type=[[Bathyscaphe]]
|Ship tonnage=
|Ship displacement= 11.8 tons
|Ship length= {{convert|7.3|m|ft|abbr=on}}
|Ship beam=
|Ship draft=
|Ship power= Electric motor
|Ship propulsion= 12 thrusters
|Ship speed= {{convert|3|kn}}
|Ship range=
|Ship endurance= 56 hours
|Ship test depth= {{convert|11000|m|ft|abbr=on}}
|Ship complement= 1
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}}
|}

'''''Deepsea Challenger''''' (DCV 1) is a {{convert|7.3|m|ft|adj=mid}} [[Deep-submergence vehicle|deep-diving submersible]] designed to reach the bottom of the [[Challenger Deep]], the deepest-known point on Earth. On 26 March 2012, Canadian film director [[James Cameron]] piloted the craft to accomplish this goal in the second crewed dive reaching the Challenger Deep.<ref name="NGS-20120325">{{cite web |last=Than |first=Ker |title=James Cameron Completes Record-Breaking Mariana Trench Dive |url=http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2012/03/120325-james-cameron-mariana-trench-challenger-deepest-returns-science-sub/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120326172212/http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2012/03/120325-james-cameron-mariana-trench-challenger-deepest-returns-science-sub/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=26 March 2012 |date=25 March 2012 |publisher=[[National Geographic Society]] |access-date=25 March 2012}}</ref><ref name="NYT-20120325">{{cite news |last=Broad |first=William J. |title=Filmmaker in Submarine Voyages to Bottom of Sea |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/26/science/james-camerons-submarine-trip-to-challenger-deep.html |date=25 March 2012 |work=[[The New York Times]] |access-date=25 March 2012 }}</ref><ref name="MSNBC-20120325">{{cite news |agency=AP |title=James Cameron has reached deepest spot on Earth |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna46850002 |date=25 March 2012 |work=NBC News |access-date=25 March 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.theverge.com/2012/3/9/2856838/james-cameron-deepsea-challenger-submarine-dive-world-record |title=James Cameron and his Deepsea Challenger submarine |publisher=theverge.com |first=Nathan |last=Ingraham |date=9 March 2012 |access-date=10 March 2012}}</ref> Built in [[Sydney|Sydney, Australia]], by the research and design company Acheron Project Pty Ltd, ''Deepsea Challenger'' includes scientific sampling equipment and high-definition [[Stereoscopy|3-D cameras]]; it reached the ocean's deepest point after two hours and 36 minutes of descent from the surface.<ref name="NGS-20120325"/><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-17013038 |title=Race to the bottom of the ocean: Cameron |work=BBC |date=22 February 2012 |access-date=10 March 2012}}</ref>

== Development ==
''Deepsea Challenger'' was built in Australia, in partnership with the [[National Geographic Society]] and with support from [[Rolex]], in the Deepsea Challenge program. The construction of the submersible was headed by Australian engineer [[Ron Allum]].<ref name="RA">{{cite web |last=Allum |first=Ron |title=Ron Allum |url=http://www.ronallum.com |access-date=23 July 2012}}</ref> Many of the submersible developer team members hail from Sydney's [[cave-diving]] fraternity including Allum himself with many years of cave-diving experience.<ref>{{cite web |last= |first= |date=11 June 2021 |title=Ron Allum |url=https://australian.museum/about/history/exhibitions/trailblazers/ron-allum |access-date=27 June 2023 |website=The Australian Museum }}</ref>{{citation needed|date=March 2019}}

Working in a small engineering workshop in [[Leichhardt, New South Wales|Leichhardt]], Sydney, Allum created new materials including a specialized structural [[syntactic foam]] called Isofloat,<ref name="isofloat">{{cite web |last=Allum |first=Ron |title=Isofloat |url=http://www.ronallum.com/products/isofloat/graphs/ |access-date=23 July 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130729120039/http://ronallum.com/products/isofloat/graphs/ |archive-date=29 July 2013 |url-status=dead }}</ref> capable of withstanding the huge compressive forces at the {{convert|11|km|mi|adj=mid}} depth. The new foam is unique in that it is more homogeneous and possesses greater uniform strength than other commercially available syntactic foam yet, with a specific density of about 0.7, will float in water. The foam is composed of very small hollow glass spheres suspended in an epoxy resin and comprises about 70% of the submersible's volume.<ref>{{cite web 
 |url=http://www2.electronicproducts.com/Hollywood_director_James_Cameron_to_pilot_submarine_to_the_bottom_of_Mariana_Trench-article-fajb_cameron_deepsea_explorer_march2012-html.aspx 
 |access-date=9 April 2012 |title=Hollywood director James Cameron to pilot submarine to the bottom of Mariana Trench 
 |first=Jeffrey 
 |last=Bausch 
 |date=12 March 2012 |url-status=dead 
 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120417162123/http://www2.electronicproducts.com/Hollywood_director_James_Cameron_to_pilot_submarine_to_the_bottom_of_Mariana_Trench-article-fajb_cameron_deepsea_explorer_march2012-html.aspx 
 |archive-date=17 April 2012  
 }}</ref>

The foam's strength enabled the ''Deepsea Challenger'' designers to incorporate thruster motors as part of the infrastructure mounted within the foam but without the aid of a steel skeleton to mount various mechanisms. The foam supersedes gasoline-filled tanks for flotation as used in the historic [[Bathyscaphe Trieste|bathyscaphe ''Trieste'']].

Allum also built many innovations, necessary to overcome the limitations of existing products (and presently undergoing development for other deep sea vehicles). These include pressure-balanced oil-filled thrusters;<ref>{{cite web
|url=http://ronallum.com/products/pbof-electronics/thruster-with-integral-driver/
|title=Thruster with integral PBOF driver
|access-date=23 July 2012
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130729114300/http://ronallum.com/products/pbof-electronics/thruster-with-integral-driver/
|archive-date=29 July 2013
|url-status=dead
}}</ref> LED lighting arrays; new types of cameras; and fast, reliable penetration communication cables allowing transmissions through the hull of the submersible.<ref name="team_allum">{{cite web
|url=http://deepseachallenge.com/the-team/ron-allum/
|title=Ron Allum
|work=Deepsea Challenge: [[National Geographic (magazine)|National Geographic]]
|access-date=24 July 2012
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120731031258/http://deepseachallenge.com/the-team/ron-allum/
|archive-date=31 July 2012
|url-status=dead
}}</ref> Allum gained much of his experience developing the electronic communication used in Cameron's ''[[Titanic]]'' dives in filming ''[[Ghosts of the Abyss]]'', ''[[Expedition: Bismarck|Bismarck]]'' and others.<ref name="team_allum" /><ref>
{{cite news
|url=https://movies.nytimes.com/person/578374/Ron-Allum/filmography
|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130130075027/http://movies.nytimes.com/person/578374/Ron-Allum/filmography
|url-status=dead
|archive-date=30 January 2013
|department=Movies & TV Dept.
|work=[[The New York Times]]
|title=Ron Allum Filmography
|access-date=8 May 2012
}}</ref>

Power systems for the submarine were supplied by lithium batteries that were housed within the foam and can be clearly seen through clear plastic panels.<ref>{{cite web
|url=http://ronallum.com/products/pbof-electronics/lipo-cell-packs/
|title=Lithium polymer (LIPO) cell packs
|access-date=8 July 2012
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130729120641/http://ronallum.com/products/pbof-electronics/lipo-cell-packs/
|archive-date=29 July 2013
|url-status=dead
}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last1=Gallo |last2=Cameron |last3=Hardy |last4=Fryer |first1=Natalya |first2=James |first3=Kevin |first4=Patricia |date=May 2015 |title=Submersible- and lander-observed community patterns in the Mariana and New Britain trenches: Influence of productivity and depth on epibenthic and scavenging communities |url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/270969032 |website=ResearchGate}}</ref> The lithium battery charging systems were designed by Ron Allum.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.powerhousemuseum.com/collection/database/?irn=456598 |title=2012/101/2 Lithium-ion battery, mixed media, designed and made by Ron Allum at Acheron Pty LTD, Leichardt, New South Wales, Australia, 2012 - Powerhouse Museum Collection |access-date=12 June 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160810083653/https://www.powerhousemuseum.com/collection/database/?irn=456598 |archive-date=10 August 2016 |url-status=dead }}</ref> 

The submersible contains over 180 onboard systems, including batteries, thrusters, life support, 3D cameras, and LED lighting.<ref name="systemstechnology">{{cite web |url=http://deepseachallenge.com/the-sub/systems-technology |title=Systems Technology |access-date=8 May 2012 |work=Deepsea Challenge (National Geographic) |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120503231033/http://deepseachallenge.com/the-sub/systems-technology/ |archive-date=3 May 2012 |url-status=dead }}</ref> These interconnected systems are monitored and controlled by a [[programmable logic controller]] (PLC) from [[Temecula, California]]-based controls manufacturer [[Opto 22]].<ref>{{cite news
|url=http://www.pe.com/business/business-headlines/20120511-industry-temecula-firm-gets-role-in-james-cameron-project.ece
|title=Temecula Firm Gets Role in James Cameron Project
|newspaper=[[The Press-Enterprise]]
|date=11 May 2012
|first=Tiffany
|last=Ray
|access-date=17 May 2012
|archive-date=15 May 2012
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120515100705/http://www.pe.com/business/business-headlines/20120511-industry-temecula-firm-gets-role-in-james-cameron-project.ece
|url-status=dead
}}</ref><ref>{{cite news
|url=http://www.nctimes.com/business/filmmaker-james-cameron-pilots-to-bottom-of-mariana-trench-thanks/article_d055fcc5-08e9-5ab4-95fa-ae4e294b19c1.html
|title=Filmmaker James Cameron pilots to bottom of Mariana Trench, thanks to Temecula's Opto 22
|newspaper=[[North County Times]]
|date=9 April 2012
|first=Pat
|last=Maio
|access-date=8 May 2012
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120415071018/http://www.nctimes.com/business/filmmaker-james-cameron-pilots-to-bottom-of-mariana-trench-thanks/article_d055fcc5-08e9-5ab4-95fa-ae4e294b19c1.html
|archive-date=15 April 2012
|url-status=dead
}}</ref><ref name="deepseachallenger">{{cite web |url=http://www.opto22.com/lp/deepsea_challenger.aspx |title=Performance Under Pressure – Off-the-shelf SNAP PAC System controls DEEPSEA CHALLENGER for James Cameron's historic dive |publisher=Opto 22 |access-date=8 May 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150929034420/http://www.opto22.com/lp/deepsea_challenger.aspx |archive-date=29 September 2015 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>
{{cite press release
|url=http://www.opto22.com/documents/2005a_Press_Release_Opto22_DeepSeaChallenge_wire.pdf
|title=James Cameron's Historic Return to Mariana Trench Relies on Latest Advances in Engineering and Technology
|publisher=[[Opto 22]]
|date=3 April 2012
|access-date=8 May 2012
}}</ref> During dives, the control system also recorded depth, heading, temperature, pressure, battery status, and other data, and sent it to the support ship at three-minute intervals<ref name="deepdivingsub">{{cite web |url=http://deepseachallenge.com/expedition-journal/weve-got-a-deep-diving-sub |title=We've Got a Deep-Diving Sub |access-date=8 May 2012 |work=Deepsea Challenge (National Geographic) |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120312144212/http://deepseachallenge.com/expedition-journal/weve-got-a-deep-diving-sub/ |archive-date=12 March 2012 |url-status=dead }}</ref> via an [[underwater acoustic communication]] system developed by West Australian company L-3 Nautronix.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Burke|first1=Louise|title=WA engineers hear voice from the deep|url=https://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/latest/a/13427068/wa-engineers-hear-voice-from-the-deep/|access-date=25 June 2014|publisher=The West Australian|date=16 April 2012|archive-date=5 March 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160305025706/https://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/latest/a/13427068/wa-engineers-hear-voice-from-the-deep/|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last1=Roberts|first1=Paul|title=Voices from the deep – Acoustic communication with a submarine at the bottom of the Mariana Trench|url=http://www.acoustics.asn.au/conference_proceedings/AAS2012/papers/p107.pdf|publisher=Australian Acoustical Society|access-date=25 June 2014}}</ref>

The crucial structural elements, such as the backbone and pilot sphere that carried Cameron, were engineered by the [[Tasmania]]n company Finite Elements.<ref>{{cite news |title=Tassie engineer elated by Cameron's dive |author=David Beniuk |url=http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-national/tassie-engineer-elated-by-camerons-dive-20120327-1vwaj.html |newspaper=[[The Sydney Morning Herald]] |date=27 March 2012 |access-date=27 March 2012}}</ref> The design of the interior of the sphere, including fireproofing, condensation management and mounting of control assemblies, was undertaken by Sydney-based industrial design consultancy Design + Industry.<ref>
{{cite web
|url=http://www.design-industry.com.au/2012-portfolio/rugged-deepsea-challenger-pilot-sphere
|title=Deepsea Challenger Pilot Sphere
|publisher=Design and Industry
|access-date=1 December 2012
}}</ref>

{{wide image|Deepsea Challenger Panorama.jpg|700px|align-cap=center|Panorama view of Deepsea Challenger. Left side is the top of the sub.|alt=Panorama view of Deepsea Challenger. Left side is the top of the sub.}}

== Specifications ==
The submersible features a pilot sphere, large enough for only one occupant.<ref name="subfacts">{{cite web |url=http://deepseachallenge.com/the-sub/sub-facts/ |title=Sub Facts |access-date=10 March 2012 |work=Deepsea Challenge (National Geographic) |archive-date=14 September 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120914162833/http://deepseachallenge.com/the-sub/sub-facts/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> The sphere, with steel walls {{convert|64|mm|abbr=on}} thick, was tested for its ability to withstand the required {{convert|114|MPa|psi|abbr=off|lk=on}} of pressure in a pressure chamber at [[Pennsylvania State University]].<ref name="pilotsphere">{{cite web |url=http://deepseachallenge.com/the-sub/pilot-sphere/ |title=Pilot Sphere |access-date=10 March 2012 |work=Deepsea Challenge (National Geographic) |archive-date=15 September 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120915115437/http://deepseachallenge.com/the-sub/pilot-sphere/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> The sphere sits at the base of the {{convert|11.8|t|ST|adj=mid|lk=on}} vehicle. The vehicle operates in a vertical attitude, and carries {{convert|500|kg|lb|abbr=on}} of ballast weight that allows it to both sink to the bottom and, when released, rise to the surface. If the ballast weight release system fails, stranding the craft on the seafloor, a backup [[Galvanic corrosion|galvanic]] release is designed to corrode in salt water in a set period of time, allowing the sub to automatically surface.<ref name=autogenerated1>{{cite web | url=http://deepseachallenge.com/the-sub/systems-technology/ | title=Systems & Technology | access-date=10 March 2012 | work=Deepsea Challenge (National Geographic) | archive-date=26 July 2018 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180726205056/http://www.deepseachallenge.com/the-sub/systems-technology/ | url-status=dead }}</ref> ''Deepsea Challenger'' is less than one-tenth the weight of its predecessor of fifty years, the bathyscaphe ''Trieste''; the modern vehicle also carries dramatically more scientific equipment than ''Trieste'', and is capable of more rapid ascent and descent.<ref name="thenVSnow">{{cite web |url=http://deepseachallenge.com/the-sub/then-and-now/ |title=Then and now |access-date=10 March 2012 |work=Deepsea Challenge (National Geographic) |archive-date=6 May 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180506062808/http://www.deepseachallenge.com/the-sub/then-and-now/ |url-status=dead }}</ref>

<gallery mode="packed">
File:Deepsea Challenger Top.jpg|Beacons and antennae, top
File:Deepsea Challenger Batteries.jpg|Battery array
File:Deepsea Challenger Thruster.jpg|One of the thrusters
File:Deepsea Challenger Bottom.jpg|One of two main ballast weights
File:Deepsea Challenger Pilot Sphere.jpg|The pilot sphere before installation
File:Deepsea Challenger Pilot Sphere Hatch.JPG|Hatch and viewport
File:Deepsea Challenger Pilot Sphere Interior.jpg|Pilot sphere, interior
</gallery>

==Dives==

=== Early dives ===
In late January 2012, to test systems, Cameron spent three hours in the submersible while submerged just below the surface in Australia's Sydney Naval Yard.<ref name="firstdive20120131">{{cite web |url=http://deepseachallenge.com/expedition-journal/first-dive-in-sydney-naval-yard/ |title=Jim Takes First Piloted Dive |date=31 January 2012 |access-date=10 March 2012 |work=Deepsea Challenge (National Geographic) |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120312014707/http://deepseachallenge.com/expedition-journal/first-dive-in-sydney-naval-yard/ |archive-date=12 March 2012 |url-status=dead }}</ref> On 21 February 2012, a test dive intended to reach a depth of over {{convert|1000|m|abbr=on}} was aborted after only an hour because of problems with cameras and [[life support system]]s.<ref name="camerahell20120222">{{cite web |url=http://deepseachallenge.com/expedition-journal/camera-hell/ |title=Camera Hell |date=22 February 2012 |access-date=10 March 2012 |work=Deepsea Challenge (National Geographic) |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120312144427/http://deepseachallenge.com/expedition-journal/camera-hell/ |archive-date=12 March 2012 |url-status=dead }}</ref> On 23 February 2012, just off [[New Britain|New Britain Island]], Cameron successfully took the submersible to the ocean floor at {{convert|991|m|ft|abbr=on}}, where it made a rendezvous with a yellow [[Remotely operated underwater vehicle|remote operated vehicle]] operated from a ship above.<ref name="deepdive20120223">{{cite web |url=http://deepseachallenge.com/expedition-journal/weve-got-a-deep-diving-sub/ |title=We've Got a Deep-Diving Sub |date=23 February 2012 |access-date=10 March 2012 |work=Deepsea Challenge (National Geographic) |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120312144212/http://deepseachallenge.com/expedition-journal/weve-got-a-deep-diving-sub/ |archive-date=12 March 2012 |url-status=dead }}</ref> On 28 February 2012, during a seven-hour dive, Cameron spent six hours in the submersible at a depth of {{convert|3700|m|ft|abbr=on}}. Power system fluctuations and unforeseen currents presented unexpected challenges.<ref name="postdive20120229">{{cite web |url=http://deepseachallenge.com/expedition-journal/post-dive-truths-revealed/ |title=Postdive Truths Revealed |date=29 February 2012 |access-date=10 March 2012 |work=Deepsea Challenge (National Geographic) |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120312090654/http://deepseachallenge.com/expedition-journal/post-dive-truths-revealed/ |archive-date=12 March 2012 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref name="criticalstep20120228">{{cite web |url=http://deepseachallenge.com/expedition-journal/a-critical-step/ |title=A Critical Step |date=28 February 2012 |access-date=10 March 2012 |work=Deepsea Challenge (National Geographic) |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120314235215/http://deepseachallenge.com/expedition-journal/a-critical-step/ |archive-date=14 March 2012 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

On 4 March 2012, a record-setting dive{{Specify |reason=What record was set? Is this a record specific to Deepsea Challenger, or an overall record in deep-sea submarine exploration? |date=June 2023}} to more than {{convert|7260|m|ft|abbr=on}} stopped short of the bottom of the [[Solomon Sea#Deepest point|New Britain Trench]] when problems with the vertical thrusters led Cameron to return to the surface.<ref name="cameron20120308lovedit">{{cite web|last=Cameron|first=James|title=You'd have loved it|url=http://deepseachallenge.com/latest-news/cameron-to-walsh-on-record-8k-dive-youd-have-loved-it/|date=8 March 2012|publisher=[[National Geographic Society]]|access-date=26 March 2012|archive-date=23 March 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120323140931/http://deepseachallenge.com/latest-news/cameron-to-walsh-on-record-8k-dive-youd-have-loved-it/|url-status=dead}}</ref> Days later, with the technical problem solved, Cameron successfully took the submersible to the bottom of the New Britain Trench, reaching a maximum depth of {{convert|8221|m|ft|abbr=on}}.<ref name="cameron20120308lovedit" /> There, he found a wide plain of loose [[sediment]], [[Sea anemone|anemones]], jellyfish, and varying habitats where the plain met the walls of the canyon.<ref name="cameron20120308lovedit" />

=== Challenger Deep ===
On 18 March 2012, after leaving the testing area in the relatively calm [[Solomon Sea]], the submersible was aboard the surface vessel ''[[Mermaid Sapphire]],'' docked in [[Apra Harbor]], Guam, undergoing repairs and upgrades, and waiting for a calm enough ocean to carry out the dive.<ref name="oceanswells">{{cite web |url=http://deepseachallenge.com/expedition-journal/ocean-swells/ |title=Ocean Swells |date=10 March 2012 |access-date=13 March 2012 |work=Deepsea Challenge (National Geographic) |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120315101247/http://deepseachallenge.com/expedition-journal/ocean-swells/ |archive-date=15 March 2012 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref name="hiveofwork">{{cite web |url=http://deepseachallenge.com/expedition-journal/a-hive-of-work |title=A Hive of Work |date=18 March 2012 |access-date=21 March 2012 |work=Deepsea Challenge (National Geographic) |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120321135053/http://deepseachallenge.com/expedition-journal/a-hive-of-work/ |archive-date=21 March 2012 |url-status=dead }}</ref> By 24 March 2012, having left port in Guam days earlier, the submersible was aboard one of two surface vessels that had departed the [[Ulithi]] atoll for the Challenger Deep.<ref name="weekend0324">{{cite web |url=http://deepseachallenge.com/latest-news/mariana-trench-mission-this-weekend/ |title=Mariana Trench Mission This Weekend? |date=24 March 2012 |access-date=24 March 2012 |work=Deepsea Challenge (National Geographic) |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120326022801/http://deepseachallenge.com/latest-news/mariana-trench-mission-this-weekend/ |archive-date=26 March 2012 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref name="ottawa">{{cite web |url=https://ottawacitizen.com/technology/Cameron+heads+ocean+floor/6339437/story.html |title=Cameron heads to ocean floor |work=Ottawa Citizen |date=21 March 2012 |access-date=23 March 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120324202336/http://www.ottawacitizen.com/technology/Cameron+heads+ocean+floor/6339437/story.html |archive-date=24 March 2012  }}</ref>

On 26 March 2012 it was reported that it had reached the bottom of the [[Challenger Deep]].

{{multiple image
 | align = center
 | direction = vertical
 | width = 500
 | image1 = DeepSea Challenger descent graph-2.svg
 | alt1 = Graph of the descent of DeepSea Challenger to Challenger Deep on 25 March 2012 UTC, based on Paul Allen tweets during the dive.
 | caption1 = 
| image2 = DeepSea Challenger ascent graph-2.svg
 | alt2 = Graph of the ascent of the DeepSea Challenger from Challenger Deep on 26 March 2012 UTC, based on Paul Allen tweets during the dive.
 | caption2 = 
| footer = These two graphs show James Cameron's ''Deepsea Challenger''{{'s}} descent and ascent during this record-setting dive – times are in [[UTC]], so the dive started on 25 March and ended on 26 March when UTC times are used, but if Guam times are used the entire dive occurred on 26 March 2012. Both graphs are based on [[Paul Allen|Paul Allen's]] tweets during the time when he was monitoring the progress of the dive from the [[underwater telephone]] on his yacht, ''[[Octopus (yacht)|Octopus]]''.<ref name="Paul Allen Tweets from Challenger Deep">{{cite web |last=Allen |first=Paul G |title=Paul Allen Tweets from Challenger Deep |url=https://twitter.com/PaulGAllen/ |date=27 March 2012 |publisher=twitter.com |access-date=27 March 2012 }}</ref> There were not as many tweets coming up as there were going down, so there is not as much data for the ascent.
}}

Descent, from the beginning of the dive to arrival at the seafloor, took two hours and 37 minutes, almost twice as fast as the descent of ''Trieste.''<ref name="bostonglobe">{{cite news |url=https://www.bostonglobe.com/news/nation/2012/03/26/titanic-director-cameron-completes-journey-earth-deepest-point/OiTQKefLYU4Yfjkxm08KGP/story.html |title=Director James Cameron tours earth's deepest point |date=27 March 2012 |access-date=29 March 2012 |work=The Boston Globe |author=William J. Broad}}</ref> A Rolex watch, "worn" on the sub's robotic arm, continued to function normally throughout the dive.<ref name="rolexDSC">{{cite web |url=http://deepseachallenge.com/the-expedition/rolex-deepsea-history/ |title=Rolex Deep-sea History |access-date=1 April 2012 |work=deepseachallenge.com |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120324074214/http://deepseachallenge.com/the-expedition/rolex-deepsea-history/ |archive-date=24 March 2012 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref name="rolexWatch">{{cite web|url=http://www.rolex.com/en#/world-of-rolex/sports-and-culture/exploration/james-cameron-about-the-rolex-deepsea-challenge |title=About the Rolex Deepsea Challenge |access-date=1 April 2012 |work=rolex.com |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120403220102/http://www.rolex.com/en |archive-date=3 April 2012  }}</ref> Not all systems functioned as planned on the dive: bait-carrying landers were not dropped in advance of the dive because the sonar needed to find them on the ocean floor was not working, and hydraulic system problems hampered the use of sampling equipment.<ref name="bostonglobe" /> Nevertheless, after roughly three hours on the seafloor and a successful ascent, further exploration of the Challenger Deep with the unique sub was planned for later in the spring of 2012.<ref name="bostonglobe" />

=== Records ===
On 26 March 2012, Cameron reached the bottom of the Challenger Deep, the deepest part of the [[Mariana Trench]]. The maximum depth recorded during this record-setting dive was {{convert|10908|m|ft}}.<ref name="James Cameron Now at Ocean's Deepest Point">{{cite web |title=DEEPSEA CHALLENGE Facts at a Glance |url=http://deepseachallenge.com |work=Deepsea Challenge (National Geographic) |access-date=29 June 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140625050833/http://deepseachallenge.com/ |archive-date=25 June 2014 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Measured by Cameron, at the moment of touchdown, the depth was {{convert|35756|ft|m|order=flip|abbr=on}}. It was the fourth-ever dive to the Challenger Deep and the second crewed dive (with a maximum recorded depth slightly less than that of ''Trieste''{{'s}} 1960 dive). It was the first solo dive and the first to spend a significant amount of time (three hours) exploring the bottom.<ref name="NGS-20120325" />

== Subsequent events ==
''Deepsea Challenger'' was donated to [[Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution]] for the study of its technological solutions in order to incorporate some of those solutions into other vehicles to advance deep-sea research.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.whoi.edu/news-release/deepsea_challenger|title=James Cameron Partners With WHOI |date=26 March 2013 |publisher=National Geographic |access-date=27 March 2013 }}</ref> On 23 July 2015, it was transported from Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution to [[Baltimore]] to be shipped to Australia for a temporary loan. While on a flatbed truck on [[Interstate 95 in Connecticut|Interstate 95]] in Connecticut, the truck caught fire, resulting in damage to the submersible. The likely cause of the fire was from the truck's brake failure which ignited its rear tires. Connecticut fire officials speculated that it was a total loss to the ''Deepsea Challenger''; however, the actual extent of the damage was not reported. The submersible was transported back to Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution after the fire.<ref>{{cite news|title=Historic Submarine Used by James Cameron Likely Destroyed in Fire: Officials|url=http://www.nbcconnecticut.com/news/local/Deepsea-Challenger-Sub-Involved-in-Truck-Fire-318309791.html|access-date=19 October 2015|work=NBC Connecticut|date=23 July 2015}}</ref> {{As of|2016|02|post=,}} it had been moved to California for repairs.<ref>{{cite news |title=Deepsea Challenger moves to California for repairs |last=Driscoll |first=Sean F. |newspaper=[[Cape Cod Times]] |url=http://www.capecodtimes.com/article/20160216/NEWS/160219604 |date=16 February 2016 |access-date=31 May 2017 }}</ref>

The ''Deepsea Challenger'' was exhibited in the [[Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County]] from 12 December 2022 to 20 February 2023.<ref>{{cite web |title=Pressure: James Cameron Into the Abyss Explore the DEEPSEA CHALLENGER |url=https://nhm.org/pressure |work=[[Natural_History_Museum_of_Los_Angeles_County]] |date=12 December 2022 |access-date=6 February 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221216230808/https://nhm.org/pressure |archive-date=16 December 2022 }}</ref>

In 2023, the ''Deepsea Challenger'' was exhibited until 17 November at the headquarters of the [[Royal Canadian Geographical Society]] in [[Ottawa]], [[Ontario]], [[Canada]].<ref>{{cite web |title=James Cameron's deep-sea submarine is on display in Ottawa |date=29 August 2023 |url=https://ottawa.ctvnews.ca/james-cameron-s-deep-sea-submarine-is-on-display-in-ottawa-1.6429324  |access-date=17 September 2023 }}</ref> Cameron is a Fellow of the Royal Canadian Geographical Society.

== Similar efforts ==
Several other vehicles were developed to reach the same depths, but not all made it. 
* [[Triton Submarines]], a Florida-based company that designs and manufactures private submarines, whose vehicle, Triton 36000/3, would carry a crew of three to the seabed in 120 minutes.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://tritonsubs.com/submersibles/triton-360003/ |title=Triton 36,000 Full Ocean Depth Submersible |publisher=Triton Submarines |access-date=25 March 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120329032435/http://tritonsubs.com/submersibles/triton-360003/ |archive-date=29 March 2012 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Triton launched [[DSV Limiting Factor]] to the bottom of the Marianas trench in August 2019. It has made more than 20 successful crewed dives to Challenger Deep.<ref name="rovplanet">{{cite web |last1= |first1= |title=Victor Vescovo and Passengers Accomplish Additional Dives to Challenger Deep |url=https://rovplanet.com/victor-vescovo-and-passengers-accomplish-additional-dives-to-challenger-deep-24-03-2021 |website=rovplanet.com |access-date=21 February 2022 |date=24 March 2021}}</ref>
* [[Virgin Oceanic]], sponsored by [[Richard Branson]]'s [[Virgin Group]], developed a submersible designed by [[Graham Hawkes]], ''[[DeepFlight Challenger]]'',<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=27 September 2011 }} (accessed 25 March 2012)</ref> with which the solo pilot would take 140 minutes to reach the seabed.<ref name=VirginOceanic>{{cite web |url=http://www.virginoceanic.com |title=Virgin Oceanic |publisher=Virgin Oceanic |access-date=1 March 2012}}</ref> The Challenger Deep mission for ''DeepFlight Challenger'' was scrapped after Virgin discovered it was worthy of only a single dive, not the repeated missions planned.<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 December 2014 |access-date=15 December 2014 |work=The Telegraph}}</ref>
* [[DOER Marine]] (Deep Ocean Exploration and Research)<ref name="About DOER Marine">{{Cite web |url=http://www.doermarine.com/?page_id=238|publisher=DOER Marine |access-date=27 March 2012 |title=About DOER Marine}}</ref> announced in 2012 that was developing a vehicle, ''[[Deepsearch]]'' (and ''[[Ocean Explorer HOV Unlimited]]''),<ref name="DOER Deep Search"/> with some support from Google's [[Eric Schmidt]]. It would have a crew of two or three and take 90 minutes to reach the seabed, as the program [[Deep Search]].<ref name="DOER Deep Search">{{cite web |url=http://www.doermarine.com/?page_id=704 |title=Deep Search |publisher=DOER Marine |access-date=25 March 2012 }}</ref>
* The Chinese government launched [[Striver (bathyscaphe)|''Fendouzhe'']] ({{Lang|zh|奋斗者}}, ''Striver'') to Challenger Deep on 10 November 2020. Three people were on board, the largest crew to dive Challenger Deep.<ref name="Fendouze3">{{Cite web|title=Chinese submarine reaches the deepest place on Earth|url=https://www.livescience.com/chinese-submarine-record-dive.html|access-date=26 April 2021|website=interestingengineering.com|date=30 November 2020|language=en-US}}</ref>

== See also ==
{{portal|Oceans}}
* {{annotated link|Challenger expedition}}
* {{annotated link|Deep-sea exploration}}
* {{annotated link|Timeline of diving technology}}

== References ==

{{reflist|30em}}

== External links ==
*{{commons category-inline|Deepsea Challenger}}
* {{official website}}
* [http://www.computationalfluiddynamics.com.au/guest-blog-untold-cfd-story-james-camerons-deepsea-challenger/ Article on usage of Computational Fluid Dynamics during the design process of the Deepsea Challenger]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20120328095636/http://deepseachallenge.com/video/james-cameron-breaks-solo-dive-record/ NGS video: Cameron's return from Challenger Deep]
* {{IMDb title|qid=Q120490491|title=Deepsea Challenge 3D}}, a 2014 [[National Geographic Channel]] documentary.

{{James Cameron}}
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{{Underwater diving|other}}
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[[Category:2012 in science]]
[[Category:James Cameron]]
[[Category:Oceanographic expeditions|Deepsea Challenge]] <!-- expedition Deepsea Challenge category -->
[[Category:Deep-submergence vehicles|Deepsea Challenger]] <!-- submarine Deepsea Challenger category -->
[[Category:Research submarines]]
[[Category:2012 ships]]
[[Category:Submarines of Australia]]