China's first domestically-made manned submersible will be tested at sea in mid-August and is expected to be put into use next year, media reported.
Technicians for the submersible, capable of reaching a depth of 4,500 meters, are making final preparations before it enters the sea, said Ye Cong, deputy chief designer of the new submersible.
The submersible docked with its mother ship, Explorer, on Thursday, completing a three-day trip from Wuxi, Jiangsu Province to Guangzhou, China National Radios (CNR) reported on Sunday.
According to chief designer Hu Zhen, the submersible will be tested at 300, 1000 and 3,000 meters before diving to its maximum 4,500 meters.
Tests are expected to last three months.
The vessel, which has yet to be officially named, aims to meet China's ambitions to explore and develop the South China Sea, as well as carry out research of phenomenon such as hydrothermal vents and cold seep, Hu said.
Its sister submersible, the Jiaolong, is designed to explore international waters and reach depths of 7,000 meters.
While both are similar in appearance, the newest vessel is equipped with five observation windows, two more than its predecessor, and more efficient battery systems.
Hu said that 90 percent of the new vessel's core components were developed by Chinese scientists that were made in China.
China plans to build a manned deep-sea submersible capable of reaching 11,000 meters by 2020.
