1,000 m below the sea: China develops its first deep-sea tourist submarine

China’s ambition to conquer the depths of the ocean is entering a new phase. After years of investing in scientific exploration and deep-sea technologies, the country is now preparing to bring tourists into the underwater world. Chinese state media China Daily revealed plans for a new manned submersible capable of carrying passengers to depths of #1000metres.



The project is being led by the China Ship Scientific Research Center (#CSSRC), a subsidiary of China State Shipbuilding Corp (#CSSC). According to Ye Cong, director of the CSSRC in Wuxi, Jiangsu province, engineers of the rearch team plan to build a prototype before the end of this year. “After more than four years of research, engineers have finalised the structural design,” he said, adding that if everything goes according to plan, the #deepseatourism #submersible will be ready for launch and commercial operation before 2030.


One of the most striking features of the future submersible is expected to be its panoramic #underwater viewing capability. According to project officials, engineers have already completed development of a large observation viewport, a key component intended to provide passengers with an immersive view of the deep-sea environment. Unlike traditional tourist submarines, which typically operate at relatively shallow depths, the new Chinese vehicle would allow visitors to reach a realm of the ocean that remains inaccessible to almost all travellers.


From scientific submersibles to deep-sea tourism

Safety, however, remains a central concern for the industry. The announcement comes only a few years after the fatal 2023 Titan submersible accident, an event that prompted renewed scrutiny of deep-sea vehicle design worldwide. Although Chinese authorities have disclosed few technical details, observers expect the project to rely heavily on technologies already proven in scientific submersibles. 


China’s best-known submersible remains #Jiaolong, also developed by CSSRC, the manned research vehicle that achieved dives beyond 7,000 metres and placed the country among the small group of nations capable of conducting crewed exploration in the deepest parts of the ocean.

Jiaolong already uses composite materials, although its pressure sphere is manufactured from titanium alloy rather than #composites. The most critical composite material onboard Jiaolong is its deep-ocean syntactic foam, consisting of a #polymermatrix reinforced with #hollowglassmicrospheres (HGM) and designed to withstand hydrostatic pressures at depths exceeding 7,000 metres while providing positive buoyancy. Additional composite materials are believed to be used in external fairings, instrument housings, insulation systems and secondary structural elements. 


Cover photo: Jiaolong, also developed by CSSRC, the manned research submersible that can dive to a depth of 7,000 metres

(source: Xinhua press agency) 


source : Jeccomposites


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