BEIJING, Oct. 27– A scientific expedition team returned home to China on Monday after completing an Arctic survey, supported by the Tansuo-3 scientific research ship and the Fendouzhe (Striver) deep-sea manned submersible.
During the survey, Fendouzhe completed 43 successful dives and performed joint underwater operations in the region with another Chinese submersible, Jiaolong, which previously completed China’s first dive under Arctic ice.
Carrying Fendouzhe, Tansuo-3 departed from Sanya in south China’s Hainan Province on July 22 to undertake the survey, which was arranged by the Ministry of Natural Resources and the Chinese Academy of Sciences.
Over a 56-day period in the Arctic Ocean, the team carried out a series of scientific survey operations, including the world’s first manned deep-dive exploration of the Gakkel Ridge in the Eurasian Basin, where sea-ice coverage exceeds 80 percent.
The dive reached a maximum depth of 5,277 meters.
Fendouzhe collected valuable water, sediment, rock and organism samples, as well as extensive observational data.
Its findings are expected to support in-depth research on rapid Arctic climate change and the adaptation mechanisms of polar life.
The mission validated the operational capabilities of both Fendouzhe and Tansuo-3 in polar ice zones.
By pioneering a mobile “ship-submersible coordination” dive model for areas with dense ice coverage, China has become the first country to conduct continuous manned deep-sea dives in the heavily ice-covered Arctic Ocean.
During the expedition, the deep-sea team manning Jiaolong completed more than 10 dives in the Arctic.
Jiaolong and Fendouzhe coordinated on underwater tasks, including search, mutual positioning and dynamic filming operations. (Xinhua)
