备冲击7000米载人深潜世界纪录的中国载人潜水器“蛟龙号”31日运抵长江江阴港，与从青岛而来的试验母船“向阳红09”船会合并装船待发。
Jiangyin (CNS) -- Manned deep-sea research submersible Jiaolong is about to set sail for its record-setting manned deep diving mission, after meeting its mother vessel Xiangyanghong 09 at Jiangyin Port by Yangtze River on Thursday.
The Jiaolong is China's first independently designed and made manned submersible. It is engineered to reach 7,000 meters below sea level – the target depth of this coming voyage, and achieved a depth of 3,759-meters in the South China Sea in 2010, and 5,188-meters in 2011.
The "challenger" is expected to arrive at the southern Mariana Trench around June 10, and adapt to depths between 1,000 and 5,000 meters. A day blessed with both nice weather and calm sea conditions will be picked to carry out the mission.
If it succeeds in reaching the targeted 7,000-meter depth, Jiaolong will set a new world record.
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