Japanese crewed research submersible that can dive up to a depth of 6,500 metres
History
Japan
Name
Shinkai 6500
Builder
Mitsubishi
In service
1989
General characteristics
Type
Deep-submergence vehicle
Length
9.5 m (31 ft)
Beam
2.7 m (8.9 ft)
Draft
3.2 m (10 ft)
Installed power
electric motor
Speed
2.5 knots (4.6 km/h; 2.9 mph)
Endurance
129h
Test depth
6,500 m (21,300 ft)
Complement
3
Shinkai 6500 front view
The Shinkai 6500 (しんかい) is a crewed research submersible that can dive up to a depth of 6,500 metres (21,300 ft). It was completed in 1990 and had the greatest depth range of any crewed research vehicle in the world until June 19, 2012, when its record was beaten by Jiaolong, which dived at 6,965 metres (22,851 ft).[1] The Shinkai 6500 is owned and run by the Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC) and it is launched from the support vessel Yokosuka.
Two pilots and one researcher operate within a 73.5 mm-thick (2.89 in) titanium pressure hull with an internal diameter of 2.0 metres (6 ft 7 in). Buoyancy is provided by syntactic foam.
Three 14 cm (5.5 in) methacrylate resin view ports are arranged at the front and on each side of the vehicle.
A Lego set based on the submersible was created through the Lego Cuusoo website.
Japan
Media related to Shinkai 6500 (submarine, 1989) at Wikimedia Commons
Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology vessels and vehicles
