China's unmanned submersible Hailong 11000 completed its second deep sea test in the western Pacific Ocean on Sunday, marking a steady advance in the country's deep ocean exploration project.
Hailong 11000 entered water at 10:30 a.m. from the Chinese research vessel Dayang Yihao and reached the 2,000-meter-deep area at 12:15 pm. After being checked by operators, the vehicle dived to 2,605 meters before it returned, the Xinhua News Agency reported.
Developed by research team from Shanghai Jiao Tong University led by Ge Tong, a professor with the university, Hailong 11000 can work at a maximum depth of 11,000 meters using independently innovated technologies, said the report.
As part of the deep ocean exploration projects, Hailong 11000 reflects the improvement of equipment manufacturing and the development of a new generation of technology.
Hailong 11000 operated steadily during the dive test, said Cui Yunlu, the operation supervisor.
The vessle will complete an 11,000-meter-deep sea test within three years, according to the Xinhua report.
Hailong III, another unmanned vehicle which was able to dive to a depth of 6,000 meters, completed a 1,690-meter-deep sea test on March 25.
Chu Fengyou, chief scientist of Dayang Yihao, said Hailong III, equipped with rock cutting tools and sampling manipulators, took pictures of seamount crusts and completed other tasks for the test.
The Dayang Yihao left East China's Shandong Province on March 20, taking scientists on a 45-day scientific expedition. The ship is carrying advanced scientific equipment as well as unmanned submersibles Hailong and Qianlong.
Sun Shuxian, deputy director of the State Oceanic Administration of China, told the Science and Technology Daily in May 2017 that the deep ocean exploration project includes an update of the country's Jiaolong manned submersible as well as the Hailong and Qianlong.
