BEIJING -- Deep-sea Chinese submersible, the Jiaolong, has completed its latest test dive. Its three-man crew reached depths of over 5000 meters.
The submersible spent over six hours underwater and returned to its mother ship on Tuesday morning. Last Thursday, it set a new world record for a manned submersible dive by diving 4,027 meters.
Jiaolong is the world's deepest-diving manned submersible and is designed to reach depths of 7,000 meters. The vessel underwent operational tests, which involved taking photos, recording video, surveying the seabed, taking samples from the ocean floor, and locating mineral resources.
The team in charge of the mission says the 5,000-meter dive aims to advance the submersible's functionality ahead of a future attempt at 7,000 meters. The tests were also designed to train crew members to complete special missions, such as the underwater high-definition video-shooting.
