Richard Branson Plans Deep-Sea Diving Venture

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By Dylan Tweney April 5, 2011 | 4:41 pm | Categories: R&D and Inventions


Virgin Oceanic's submarine will be able to 'fly' to the deepest parts of the ocean, nearly 37,000 feet below the surface. Rendering courtesy Virgin Oceanic.


Gallivanting billionaire Richard Branson is well on his way to space. Now he plans to explore the deepest parts of the ocean as well.

Branson announced his undersea exploration venture, Virgin Oceanic, on Tuesday. Unlike his suborbital-space-flight company, Virgin Galactic, the new venture is not accepting paying passengers. Instead, it will comprise only five deep-sea dives, each one carrying just one person, to the deepest points in each of the five oceans.


Virgin Oceanic tested its submarine in San Francisco Bay recently. Photo courtesy Virgin Oceanic.
To make the dives, Virgin has built a custom submarine and a flashy promotional video. The sub’s cockpit has a bubble-like dome made of quartz, which can withstand 13 million pounds of pressure across its surface, Virgin says.

Overall, the sub looks a bit like an airplane, the better to “fly” to its underwater destinations. It weighs 8,000 pounds, is made of carbon fiber and titanium, and is rated to withstand pressure up to 37,000 feet below the surface. It’s not fast, though, with a maximum speed of just 3 knots and the ability to dive at 350 feet per minute, so its life-support systems are meant to last up to 24 hours.

more
http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2011/04/virgin-oceanic-launch/

[Blue Owl]

1. Branson, eh?

Who is that man, Smithers?