Deepest Underwater Dive in History
The deepest underwater dive in history was achieved on January 23, 1960, when Swiss scientist Jacques Piccard and U.S. Navy Lieutenant Don Walsh descended 35,800 feet into the Pacific Ocean using the Trieste, a bathyscaphe designed to withstand immense underwater pressure. The bathyscaphe was invented by Piccard's father, Auguste Piccard, who had launched the first model in 1947 and had sold the Trieste to the U.S. Navy in 1958 for $250,000. This historic dive aimed to explore the Mariana Trench, specifically the Challenger Deep, which is recognized as the deepest known point on Earth.
The dive was part of a broader initiative called Project Nekton, focusing on scientific observations of the ocean floor. During their descent, Piccard and Walsh successfully collected data on marine geology, sound wave transmission, and visibility without facing significant challenges. The mission was supported by two naval ships, the USS Lewis and the USS Wandank. Following its successful mission, the Trieste continued to be utilized for various underwater explorations, including locating the wreckage of the USS Thresher in 1963. Today, the Trieste is preserved as a historical artifact at the Navy Museum in Washington, D.C.
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Deepest Underwater Dive in History
Deepest Underwater Dive in History
The deepest underwater dive in history was accomplished on January 23, 1960, when Swiss scientist Jacques Piccard and Lieutenant Don Walsh of the United States navy took a bathyscaphe, a deep-sea diving vessel, 35,800 feet below the surface of the Pacific Ocean. Their vessel, named Trieste, was designed by Piccard's father, Auguste Piccard, and sold to the U.S. Navy in 1958 for $250,000.
Auguste Piccard of Basel, Switzerland, was the inventor of the bathyscaphe, which means “deep boat.” It is a type of modified submarine designed to withstand the enormous water pressure that exists in the deepest reaches of the ocean. He launched his first bathyscaphe in 1947 and the Trieste itself in 1953. The U.S. Navy was interested in his device as part of its plan to explore the deep ocean floor and make scientific observations of various phenomena at great depths, an operation later called Project Nekton. Of particular interest was the Mariana Trench, a 1,500-mile-long depression in the floor of the Pacific Ocean located near the Mariana Islands. The deepest part of the Trench is called the Challenger Deep, which at its most extreme point is over 36,000 feet deep, or approximately 7 miles under the ocean's surface. This is the deepest place in the world and was thus ideal for the use of Piccard's craft.
The descent took place without any major incidents, and upon reaching the bottom Piccard and Walsh gathered data concerning marine geology, visibility, transmission of sound waves, and other matters. Assisting with the dive were the USS Lewis and the USS Wandank. Afterwards, the Trieste was used for a number of years in such missions as finding the wreckage of the nuclear submarine USS Thresher on the ocean floor just offshore from the city of Boston, Massachusetts, in 1963. When it was retired, the Trieste was placed on permanent exhibit in the Navy Museum in Washington, D.C.