The Five Deeps Expedition and an Update of Full Ocean Depth Exploration and Explorers

Abstract

AbstractFull ocean depth exploration (depths of ~11,000 m) is still a rarity in deep-sea exploration. Following the 1960 Trieste dive to the Challenger Deep, it was 52 years before Deepsea Challenger followed suit. Between these dives, there was also the French bathyscaphe Archimède, operational in the 1960s, which performed a number of significantly deep dives. However, 7 years after the Deepsea Challenger, a new wave of full ocean depth dives have been undertaken in the DSV Limiting Factor, a new two-person full ocean depth submersible. Described herein is an update of the recent series of full ocean depth dives in the DSV Limiting Factor and a collation of all significantly deep dives and sub crew in full ocean depth submersibles. These historical dives are discussed, as well as the latest dives from the Five Deeps Expedition using the DSV Limiting Factor, within the context of and challenging the validity of common analogies with lunar exploration. This article aims to provide a little perspective and pride in full ocean depth exploration.