/sci/ - Science & Math

>At the push of a button, the control system can keep the sub at a set level above the seafloor. This is called Auto Altitude. Another function is just like the cruise control on a car: The pilot pushes the “cruise” button when he has set his forward speed, and the sub stays at that speed for as long as required.

>The DEEPSEA CHALLENGER‘s pilot will be alone, but he’ll spend a lot of the journey talking: He’ll narrate a “dive log” to two small cameras (two are needed to create 3-D video) inside the sphere. He’ll also talk to the surface through several systems—one with a 19-mile (30-kilometer) range underwater. When necessary, he’ll be able to send text messages, which are more efficient than voice communications. The submersible’s mother ship, the Mermaid Sapphire, and the 30-foot (9-meter) rigid-hulled inflatable Prime RHIB are each equipped with two transducers—one on board and another suspended on a cable about 330 feet (100 meters) below the water. The sub also has a backup acoustic modem/transponder powered separately from the sub’s main battery. Once the sub surfaces, it will also use a VHF marine radio to communicate with the crew.