Experience of scientific research and special operations with the Mir submersibles (to 25th Anniversary or the creation)

摘要

The Mir-1 and Mir-2 submersibles were built on Rauma Repola company in Finland in 1985–87. Vehicles design was performed by the scientists from P.P. Shirshov Institute of Oceanology Russian Academy of Sciences and Rauma's engineers. The head of the project — professor Igor Mikhaltsev; his deputy Anatoly Sagalevich Ph.D. worked on Rauma Repola during two and half years in close contact with Finnish engineering group headed by Sauli Rouhonen. The contract for submersibles creation was signed on May 16th, 1985, acceptance protocol for two 6000 m submersibles-built and tested — on December 17th, 1987. Deep ocean trials were conducted m the Atlantic on December 12th — Mir-1 tor 6170 m and December 13th — Mir-2 for 6120 m. The ocean trials and long period of the use of the Mirs were conducted from r/v Akademik Mstislav Keldysh, which was modernized as support vessel of the Mirs on Rauma Repola in the end of the creation of the vehicles — in September-October 1989. This is only one scientific ship in the world carrying two manned sixthousanders on board (Fig. 1).