Context:
India is getting ready for yet another ambitious project to explore the deep sea.
Mission Samudrayaan:
- India’s 1st manned mission to explore by sending 3 aquanauts to the deep ocean up to 6,000 metres.
- Aim – To study the deep ocean resources and conduct biodiversity assessments as well.
- Part of the larger Deep Ocean Mission.
- Nodal Ministry – Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES)
Deep Ocean Mission:
- Aim – To explore deep ocean for resources and develop deep-sea technologies for sustainable use of ocean resources.
- It will be a mission-mode project to support Blue Economy initiatives.
Blue Economy is the sustainable use of ocean resources for economic growth, improved livelihoods etc. Its size in India is about 4% of the GDP.
- Nodal ministry – Ministry of Earth Sciences
- Major components –
- Development of Manned Submersible: MATSYA 6000
- Integrated Mining System for mining polymetallic nodules.
- Identifies multi-metal Hydrothermal Sulphides mineralization along the Indian Ocean mid-oceanic ridges.
- Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC) powered desalination plants
Polymetallic nodules are rocks scattered on the seabed containing iron, manganese, nickel and cobalt.
MATSYA 6000:
- Designed and developed by – National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT), Chennai under Ministry of Earth Sciences
- It has an endurance of 12 hours under normal operation and 96 hours in case of emergency.
- It is being developed under Deep Ocean Mission (DOM).
Source: The Hindu
Previous Year Question
Consider the following statements:
The Mangalyaan launched by ISRO
1. is also called the Mars Orbiter Mission
2. made India the second country to have a spacecraft orbit the Mars after USA
3. made India the only country to be successful in making its spacecraft orbit the Mars in its very first attempt
Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct?
[UPSC Civil Services Exam – 2016 Prelims]
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 and 3 only
(c) 1 and 3 only
(d) 1, 2 and 3
Answer: (c)
