1. The Five Deeps Expedition was unprecedented in terms of deep-sea exploration. Five years on, what lessons endure?
The Five Deeps Expedition (FDE) was an extraordinary achievement, a ‘tour de force,’ and everyone at Triton is understandably proud of the revolutionary new sub or HOV we created for the FDE (the Triton 36,000/2 named Limiting Factor or LF by the original owner and renamed Bakunawa or Baku by the current owner).
Today, Baku has completed 20 dives to full ocean depth, more than 150 dives to depths between 6,000 and 11,000 m, and over 400 dives deeper than 4,000 m in total. During these dives, large areas of the deep ocean have been mapped, countless scientific samples have been collected and close to 100 new species identified.
Given the opportunity, we’re committed to developing the next- generation full ocean depth (FOD) Triton sub. There really should be more than just one FOD Triton sub available to the scientific and exploration community. The ocean is vast, and we need to provide those who understand the value of a human presence in the deep sea with the tools necessary for them to accomplish their objectives.
Subsea technologies have progressed significantly since the launch of the LF (Baku) in 2018. Since then, Triton has developed a FOD and DNV type approved battery system, (the Triton Hadal Battery System or THBS), to address the deficiencies we identified in the original battery system. Also, today we have access to an ever-increasing range of sensors and other equipment that would dramatically enhance the performance and utility of a next generation FOD Triton sub, including improvements to our unique navigation system and the addition of side scan sonar to map the seafloor at high resolution.
We made a transformative upgrade to the propulsion system by replacing geared thrusters with direct-drive units. The noise from the geared thrusters interfered with navigation and communications and required the sub to stop every time the pilot needed to communicate with the surface or update navigation, which was inefficient. With direct-drive thrusters, the pilot can interrogate a lander or communicate with the surface while underway with no interruption to the mission.
Navigating 11 km or nearly 6.9 miles below the surface is complicated, but advances in both software and processing technology allow us to locate targets with pinpoint accuracy today.
We will use an electric manipulator on the next generation FOD Triton instead of a hydraulic unit to improve efficiency and optimize performance. We had challenges with oils and their viscosities, and certain water temperatures impaired the hydraulic system’s use.
Also, we would use the latest cameras and imaging technologies. The LF/Baku has three viewports: one for the pilot, one for the co-pilot, and one shared by the crew. There are four situational awareness cameras: one each looking forward, aft, to port and to starboard. By combining the latest in imaging technology with the most sophisticated virtual reality systems, we would dramatically enhance both the viewing experience and situational awareness of the crew. HOVs are a visual tool and the more compelling we can make the visual experience, the better we’ve done our job as a manufacturer.
2. On safety, one year on from the OceanGate disaster, what lessons stick out?
Unfortunately, the OceanGate tragedy reinforced old myths about HOVs, which are unfounded and bear no resemblance to reality. Most people don’t realize the stringent safety requirements and regulations governing certified and fully accredited HOVs. In fact, it’s worth pointing out that certified or classed HOVs continue to enjoy a 50-year track record of perfect safety.
The OceanGate contraption was an aberration, it was an experimental monstrosity that was not subjected to any type of peer review or accreditation process and as such it was not fit for human occupation and should never have carried people.
There’s no place for experimental HOVs in the continued human-occupied exploration of the deep sea. We must insist all HOVs comply with the regulations of an internationally recognized and fully accredited certification agency or classification society. This is the best and only way to ensure future tragedies can be avoided.
3. How do you see the role of HOVs evolving alongside the increased application of uncrewed systems?
All areas of ocean technology are advancing quickly, including the analytical tools we use to design and evaluate complex structures, materials technology and electronics. The capabilities of a modern HOV have advanced so much in the last three decades they’re barely recognizable to the primitive machines I started diving in more than 40 years ago but there’s still more we can do to augment the utility of HOVs alongside autonomous and remotely operated vehicles.
Robotics, imaging systems, and sensors have transformed ocean exploration, but, for me, there is no substitute for a human presence at the site to experience things firsthand and drink in information in real time. I see AUVs and ROVs as complementary to HOVs.
4. As a pilot, can you put into words what the experience of full ocean depth feels like…
As a manufacturer, we spend much of our time designing, engineering, building, testing and maintaining HOVs and we don’t get enough time to enjoy them like our clients do but I love and still treasure every moment I get to spend diving in a sub and these experiences have profoundly influenced and even transformed my life.
When I started Triton in 2007, we were focused on developing HOVs with extraordinary viewing, and the capacity to safely visit the deepest and most remote places on earth. We began with HOVs rated to 305 m (1,000 ft), moved to 1,000 m (3,300 ft), then on to 2,300 m (7,500 ft), and finally to FOD or 11,000 m (36,000 ft). At Triton, we’re determined to extend our reach and broaden our perspective to the maximum.
I have been fortunate to have had so many rich and diverse experiences in HOVs: from being part of salvage projects, such as the space shuttle Challenger recovery in 1986, to working with inspiring filmmakers like James Cameron during his Aliens of the Deep documentary in 2002, to participating in important research missions with brilliant scientists and prominent explorers over the last four decades who share my passion for the ocean. These wonderfully diverse experiences have given me an unique appreciation of the ocean, which was only possible through firsthand experience.
5. What is on the horizon for Triton Submarines in the second half of 2024?
On August 18, 2024, two of our Triton 3300/3 MKII submersibles (Nadir and Neptune), will be featured in “OceanXplorers”—a six-episode high-end, science-driven documentary series following the elite team of scientists and explorers aboard OceanX’s remarkable research vessel, the OceanXplorer. Nadir and Neptune dive to 1,000 meters (3,300 feet) with a crew of three people on board.
We also have a new sub in the works—the Triton 660 AVA, the first sub with an elliptical pressure boundary, which is a complete departure from conventional design and by reducing the diameter and lengthening the pressure hull, we can carry more people in a smaller volume while still ensuring they’re comfortable. The Triton 660/9 AVA is limited to 200 m (660 ft) because of its unusual geometry, and it weighs just 11 tons—making this unusually configured sub ideal for launching from a cruise ship.
Triton is also developing the first HOV capable of diving to 4,000 meters or (13,123 ft) with a transparent pressure hull made of acrylic 18-inches or 450 mm thick. This new sub (Triton 4KM/2 AE, The Explorer) will allow people to visit the abyssal zone of the ocean in a machine with a transparent pressure hull for the first time in history. The viewing from this uniquely configured craft will be superior to any HOV we’ve built to date and promises to give the occupants the most immersive experience ever possible in an HOV.
For more Take 5 interviews, visit: oceannews.com/frontline
This story was originally featured in ON&T Magazine’s August 2024 issue. Click here to read more.
