The present and future of deep manned submersibles MIR-1 and MIR-2 (to 25th Anniversary of the creation)

摘要

In December 2012 the MIR submersibles (operating depth 6000 m) celebrate 25th Anniversary of the creation. Test dives on 6170 (MIR-1) and 6120 m (MIR-2) in Atlantic ocean started long way of MIR's operations. For 25th years the MIRs fulfilled wide scale of deep ocean operations, open many new pages in world submersibles history. Big volume of unique scientific data obtained during the dives on hydrothermal fields on ocean bottom (over 20 sites), sea mounts, abyssal etc. Well known movies with deep ocean images like Titanic, Bismarck, Ghost of the Abyss, Alliens of the deep (James Cameron), Treasure of the Deep (Al Giddings), Titanica (IMAX, Stephen Low) as well as documentaries were produced using the MIR submersibles. Principally new deep ocean technology was developed and implemented during MIR's operations on sunken nuclear submarines Komsomolets and Kursk. The MIRs were only submersibles which made deep dives on 4300 m under thick entire ice in geographical point of North Pole (2007); provided live TV broadcast from the Titanic wreck via satellite to the land (2005); took the tourists to great depth on Titanic, Bismarck, hydrothermal vents. No any manned submersible in the world made such diversity of deep ocean operations like the MIRs. Last four years interesting discoveries were done on the Baikal and Geneva lakes. For 25 years history for the MIRs weren't any unsolved tasks during ocean operations. Beginning from 1992 the scientists of P.P.Shirshov Institute of Oceanology RAS are developing world wide project of scientific research of the ocean using the MIRs and possibly other submersibles of the world. During around the world sailing on research vessel Akademik Mstislav Keldysh with the MIRs on board is supposed to provide the investigations of hydrothermal vents on ocean bottom, sea mounts, abyssal etc., made the dives on remarkable wrecks and other operations. The program includes the visits and research on many sites, connected with Russian and international maritime heritage, historical discoveries. The implementation of proposed program will bring great contribution to the world science, culture, history. At present time the program includes over 100 sites in different areas of World ocean. The fulfillment of the project is calculated for 3 years. Mentioned above matters are considered in proposed paper on UWI-2013.