Deep Star 4000

Last updated
Deepstar 4000 being lowered into the water to inspect SEALAB III off San Clemente, California. Underwater Vehicle Deepstar 4000.tiff
Deepstar 4000 being lowered into the water to inspect SEALAB III off San Clemente, California.

Deepstar 4000 was a U.S. Navy/civilian deep-submergence vehicle designed by Jacques Cousteau and built by Westinghouse. It was built in 1965 and retired in 1972. Some of the explorations of Deepstar 4000 were shown in the January 1971 edition of National Geographic . At the time of the article, Deepstar 4000 had already completed more than 200 dives in the Atlantic, Pacific, and Caribbean. [1] This number of completed dives appears to be understated. In R. Frank Busby's book Manned Submersibles, [2] it is stated on page 53 that the Deepstar 4000 "conducted some 500 dives from June 1966 through June 1968". Deepstar 4000 was designed to take a crew of up to three to a depth of 4,000 feet (1,200 m), or over 665 fathoms. Hence the name, Deepstar 4000.

Contents

History

The U.S. Naval Oceanographic Office used Deepstar 4000 for 13 dives during October and November 1967. Marine geology, biology and the physical properties of the water column were studied on the 10 deep dives of this series. These dives were accomplished along the east coast of the United States and in the Caribbean. Great similarities in the bottom features at widely separated sites as well as dissimilarities in adjacent areas were particularly noteworthy.

During this operation Deepstar 4000 was evaluated as a Deep Oceanographic Survey Vehicle (DOSV). The lack of an all-weather capability and the rather limited payload hampered this study, but the overlapping fields of the viewports and the ability to operate in very close proximity to the bottom, regardless of terrain, are desirable features that should be included on any future DOSV. [3] [4]

Accurate measurements of in-situ sound speed, temperature, salinity, and pressure have been achieved during numerous replicating dives aboard Deepstar 4000 to depths of 1,200 metres (3,900 ft). Crewed deep submergence vehicles offer optimum methods for observing the actual ocean environment. Advantages of submersibles include: capabilities of mounting multiple equipments with short cables, visually monitoring instruments during data acquisition, and controlling proximity to the seafloor—significant improvements over suspending sensors with miles of cables from rolling, pitching surface craft.

On one Deep Star 4000 dive south of San Diego, California, the crew, Dr. Eugene C. La Fond and pilot, narrowly escaped tragedy when the ascent system and its backup failed at 3,500 feet down. The weights normally meant to detach to allow ascent would not release. To save the craft, hundreds of pounds of mercury ballast used for trim was hand pumped onto the ocean floor and the craft could rise. [5]

Equipment

Instrument packages have consisted of three precision velocimeters (two NUS TR-4's and one TR-5), two Dymec temperature sensors, one Bissett-Berman salinometer, one or two Vibrotrons, and four Fjarlie bottles with four reversing thermometers each. Accuracy is enhanced by meticulous calibrations before and after dive series, delicate handling of all equipment, intercomparison of several instruments, consistently careful measurements, and correct assessments of thermal lags and pressure effects. Results are compared with existing equations for sound speed versus temperature, salinity, and pressure. The United States has made a torpedo-shaped probe called the Deep Flight. [3]

Deepstar 4000 unknown fish

In 1967 a crew member of the Deepstar 4000, Joe Thompson, claimed that he had observed a fish of extreme size while onboard the vessel. According to his account the fish was observed in 1966 by himself and other crew members while off the coast of San Diego, he claimed to have observed the fish while placing equipment on the sea floor and glancing outside his window. His description of the creature was that it was bigger than the submarine itself and that its eyes were larger than dinner plates. According to Thompson the creature quickly swam away before anyone could get photographic evidence of it. [6] Following this account Thompson would continue to spread this story to others, such as Cryptozoologist Gardner Soule. [7]

Undersea Desert

On Dec. 4, 1966, Eugene LaFond (accompanied by fellow Deepstar crewmen Dale Good and Bob Bradley) reported finding a surprisingly lifeless area of the San Pedro Basin. A region of the sea floor three thousand feet below and ten miles north of Avalon, Santa Catalina Island. Dr. LaFond was quoted as saying: "Usually, we see brittle stars or sable fish on the bottom. This time, however, the basin was devoid of life. All we saw were dead squid...and other organisms."

Related Research Articles

<i>Trieste</i> (bathyscaphe) Deep sea scientific submersible

Trieste is a Swiss-designed, Italian-built deep-diving research bathyscaphe. In 1960, it became the first crewed vessel to reach the bottom of Challenger Deep in the Mariana Trench, the deepest point in Earth's seabed. The mission was the final goal for Project Nekton, a series of dives conducted by the United States Navy in the Pacific Ocean near Guam. The vessel was piloted by Swiss oceanographer Jacques Piccard and US Navy lieutenant Don Walsh. They reached a depth of about 10,916 metres (35,814 ft).

American submarine <i>NR-1</i> Experimental nuclear submarine

Deep Submergence Vessel NR-1 was a unique United States Navy (USN) nuclear-powered ocean engineering and research submarine, built by the Electric Boat Division of General Dynamics at Groton, Connecticut. NR-1 was launched on 25 January 1969, completed initial sea trials 19 August 1969, and was home-ported at Naval Submarine Base New London. NR-1 was the smallest nuclear submarine ever put into operation. The vessel was casually known as "Nerwin" and was never officially named or commissioned. The U.S. Navy is allocated a specific number of warships by the U.S. Congress, but Admiral Hyman Rickover avoided using one of those allocations for the construction of NR-1 in order to circumvent the oversight that a warship receives from various bureaus.

DSV <i>Alvin</i> Crewed deep-ocean research submersible

Alvin (DSV-2) is a crewed deep-ocean research submersible owned by the United States Navy and operated by the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) of Woods Hole, Massachusetts. The original vehicle was built by General Mills' Electronics Group in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Named to honor the prime mover and creative inspiration for the vehicle, Allyn Vine, Alvin was commissioned on June 5, 1964.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bathyscaphe</span> Free-diving self-propelled deep-sea submersible

A bathyscaphe is a free-diving, self-propelled deep-sea submersible, consisting of a crew cabin similar to a Bathysphere, but suspended below a float rather than from a surface cable, as in the classic Bathysphere design.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Underwater environment</span> Aquatic or submarine environment

An underwater environment is a environment of, and immersed in, liquid water in a natural or artificial feature, such as an ocean, sea, lake, pond, reservoir, river, canal, or aquifer. Some characteristics of the underwater environment are universal, but many depend on the local situation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Submersible</span> Small watercraft able to navigate under water

A submersible is an underwater vehicle which needs to be transported and supported by a larger watercraft or platform. This distinguishes submersibles from submarines, which are self-supporting and capable of prolonged independent operation at sea.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Deep-submergence vehicle</span> Self-propelled deep-diving crewed submersible

A deep-submergence vehicle (DSV) is a deep-diving crewed submersible that is self-propelled. Several navies operate vehicles that can be accurately described as DSVs. DSVs are commonly divided into two types: research DSVs, which are used for exploration and surveying, and DSRVs, which are intended to be used for rescuing the crew of a sunken navy submarine, clandestine (espionage) missions, or both. DSRVs are equipped with docking chambers to allow personnel ingress and egress via a manhole.

<i>Kaikō</i> ROV Japanese remotely operated underwater vehicle for deep sea exploration

Kaikō was a remotely operated underwater vehicle (ROV) built by the Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC) for exploration of the deep sea. Kaikō was the second of only five vessels ever to reach the bottom of the Challenger Deep, as of 2019. Between 1995 and 2003, this 10.6 ton unmanned submersible conducted more than 250 dives, collecting 350 biological species, some of which could prove to be useful in medical and industrial applications. On 29 May 2003, Kaikō was lost at sea off the coast of Shikoku Island during Typhoon Chan-Hom, when a secondary cable connecting it to its launcher at the ocean surface broke.

<i>Trieste II</i> (Bathyscaphe) US Navys second bathyscaphe

Trieste II(DSV-1) was the successor to Trieste – the United States Navy's first bathyscaphe purchased from its Swiss designers.

The hadal zone, also known as the hadopelagic zone, is the deepest region of the ocean, lying within oceanic trenches. The hadal zone ranges from around 6 to 11 km below sea level, and exists in long, narrow, topographic V-shaped depressions.

DSV-4 is a 25-ton, crewed deep-ocean research submersible owned by the United States Navy, now known only by its hull number, not by its former name.

DSRV-1 <i>Mystic</i> US Navy deep-submergence rescue vehicle

DSRV-1Mystic is a deep-submergence rescue vehicle that is rated to dive up to 5,000 feet. It was built by Lockheed for the US Navy at a construction cost of $41 million and launched 24 January 1970. It was declared fully operational in 1977 and named Mystic. The Mystic or the Avalon could be deployed to rescue survivors of a disabled submarine.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Deep-sea exploration</span> Investigation of ocean conditions beyond the continental shelf

Deep-sea exploration is the investigation of physical, chemical, and biological conditions on the ocean waters and sea bed beyond the continental shelf, for scientific or commercial purposes. Deep-sea exploration is an aspect of underwater exploration and is considered a relatively recent human activity compared to the other areas of geophysical research, as the deeper depths of the sea have been investigated only during comparatively recent years. The ocean depths still remain a largely unexplored part of the Earth, and form a relatively undiscovered domain.

<i>Nereus</i> (underwater vehicle) Hybrid remotely operated or autonomous underwater vehicle

Nereus was a hybrid uncrewed autonomous underwater vehicle built by the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI). Constructed as a research vehicle to operate at depths of up to 11,000 metres (36,000 ft), it was designed to explore Challenger Deep, the deepest surveyed point in the global ocean. Nereus, named for Greek sea titan Nereus through a nationwide contest of high school and college students, began its deep sea voyage to Challenger Deep in May 2009 and reached the bottom on May 31, 2009.

<i>Pisces</i>-class deep submergence vehicle Three person research deep-submergence vehicles

Pisces-class submersibles are three-person research deep-submergence vehicles designed and built by Hyco International Hydrodynamics of North Vancouver in British Columbia with a maximum operating depth of 2,000 m (6,560 ft). The vehicles have multiple view ports and sample collecting, environmental sensing, and instrument placement capabilities. The pressure hull has a 7 ft (2.1 m) inside diameter and is made of HY-100 steel with three forward-looking acrylic windows, 6 in (15 cm) in diameter. Designed by Allan Trice, the Pisces series of submersibles were representative of crewed submersibles built in the late 1960s and were proven workhorses in offshore exploration and oceanographic research. Pisces II was the first production model of the design and was completed in 1968, with nine more Pisces submarines built before the manufacturer went out of business in the late 1970s.

ABISMO is a remotely operated underwater vehicle (ROV) built by the Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC) for exploration of the deep sea. It is the only remaining ROV rated to 11,000-meters, ABISMO is intended to be the permanent replacement for Kaikō, a ROV that was lost at sea in 2003.

<i>Deepsea Challenger</i> Submersible that traveled to the Challenger Deep

Deepsea Challenger is a 7.3-metre (24 ft) deep-diving submersible designed to reach the bottom of the Challenger Deep, the deepest-known point on Earth. On 26 March 2012, Canadian film director James Cameron piloted the craft to accomplish this goal in the second crewed dive reaching the Challenger Deep. Built in Sydney, Australia, by the research and design company Acheron Project Pty Ltd, Deepsea Challenger includes scientific sampling equipment and high-definition 3-D cameras; it reached the ocean's deepest point after two hours and 36 minutes of descent from the surface.

The Johnson Sea Link accident was a June 1973 incident that claimed the lives of two divers. During a seemingly routine dive off Key West, the submersible Johnson Sea Link was trapped for over 24 hours in the wreckage of the destroyer USS Fred T. Berry, which had been sunk to create an artificial reef. Although the submersible was eventually recovered by the rescue vessel A.B. Wood II, two of the four occupants died of carbon dioxide poisoning: 31-year-old Edwin Clayton Link and 51-year-old diver Albert Dennison Stover. The submersible's pilot, Archibald "Jock" Menzies, and ichthyologist Robert Meek survived. Over the next two years, Edwin Link designed an unmanned Cabled Observation and Rescue Device (CORD) that could free a trapped submersible.

Striver (bathyscaphe) Chinese deep submergence vehicle

Striver bathyscaphe is a type of deep-submergence vehicle built in the People's Republic of China (PRC). It was built by China State Shipbuilding Corporation (CSSC). It can accommodate three crew members, and is designed to reach depths of more than 10,000 meters. Striver is equipped with two mechanical arms, seven underwater cameras, seven sonars, hydraulic drills, and other scientific devices.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Underwater exploration</span> Investigating or traveling around underwater for the purpose of discovery

Underwater exploration is the exploration of any underwater environment, either by direct observation by the explorer, or by remote observation and measurement under the direction of the investigators. Systematic, targeted exploration is the most effective method to increase understanding of the ocean and other underwater regions, so they can be effectively managed, conserved, regulated, and their resources discovered, accessed, and used. Less than 10% of the ocean has been mapped in any detail, less has been visually observed, and the total diversity of life and distribution of populations is similarly obscure.

References

  1. ↑ Church, Ron (January 1971). "Deepstar Explores the Ocean Floor". National Geographic : 110–29.
  2. ↑ Busby, R. Frank (1976). Manned Submersibles.
  3. 1 2 "Untitled".[ permanent dead link ]
  4. ↑ Undersea Studies with the Deep Research Vehicle DEEPSTAR-4000
  5. ↑ La Fond, Eugene C. (1992). Bill and Bob - La Fond History (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2013-06-20. Retrieved 20 September 2024– via The Library, UC San Diego.
  6. ↑ Tzimoulis, Paul J.; Thompson, Joe (1967). "Monster of the Deep". Skin Diver. 16 (3).
  7. ↑ Soule, Gardner (1970). Wide ocean; discoveries at sea. Rand McNally. LCCN   71-123337.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.