Let’s stop asking if there’s life on Mars for a second—is there life in the deepest depths of the ocean? What lives at the depths of the Mariana Trench?
Hamish Harding, along-term resident of Dubai, is headed on a history-making quest to traverse the length of the Challenge Deep at the bottom of the trench in an attempt to find new life forms tomorrow, March 5.
The Deep is nearly 11km down, equivalent to over 13 times the height of the Burj Khalifa.
It is hoped that Harding’s mission will set a new Guinness World Record for the greatest distance travelled at Full Ocean Depth.
The dive will take place in the purpose-built Triton submersible, DSV Limiting Factor, which Harding will co-pilot alongside Victor Vescovo. The two-man submersible has been designed to take 100,000 tonnes of pressure at Full Ocean Depth – the equivalent of 50 Jumbo Jets or 8,000 double-decker buses and 1,200 times more than the standard atmospheric pressure at sea level.
As Harding and Vescovo traverse 25-30km across the ocean floor, they will use the submersible’s robotic arm to collect sample specimens that will be analysed by scientists onboard DSSV Pressure Drop and by teams at Newcastle University and the British Geological Survey.
For kids who are hoping to one day become explorers, the wait may be shorter than you think—a 13 year old will also be on the mission.
Harding’s, Giles, will join him, staying aboard expedition yacht, DSSV Pressure Drop, to document his father’s quest on his Instagram channel @giles.explores. Giles is a student at Dubai College and will continue his remote learning from the vessel in one of the most extreme environments in the world.
“The Challenger Deep is a little-studied and incredibly hostile environment. As an explorer and adventurer, I want this expedition to contribute to our shared knowledge and understanding of planet earth. During the dive, we will attempt, using a robotic arm, to collect samples from the ocean floor that could contain new life forms and may even provide further insights into how life on our planet began. And, in searching for signs of human pollution in this remote environment, we hope to aid scientific efforts to protect our oceans and ensure they flourish for millennia to come,” Hamish Harding, Chairman of Action Aviation, said.
“I’ve long been inspired by the spirit of adventure and exploration in my home country, the UAE – the feeling that anything is possible. I am proud to represent the UAE as the first resident from the Middle East to dive the Mariana Trench to the lowest point on Earth, the Challenger Deep.”
Only 18 people have ever dived to the bottom of the Challenger Deep, compared with 24 astronauts who have orbited or landed on the moon and thousands who have successfully climbed Mount Everest, the highest place on earth.
The first submersible descended to the ocean floor in 1960 and spent just twenty minutes at the bottom before ascent.
James Cameron, director of films such as Avatar and Titanic, travelled down in 2012, and was the first to make a solo manned descent aboard DSV Deepsea Challenger, spending 2 hours 34 minutes at 10,908 metres below sea level. Harding’s mission will take place aboard DSV Limiting Factor, which is the first submersible that can undertake repeat trips to Full Ocean Depth and traverse the bottom for significant periods of time.
Harding already holds the world record for the fastest circumnavigation of the earth via both poles, in a Gulfsttook place during the 50th anniversary celebration of the Apollo 11 moon landing, as a tribute to the past, present and future of space exploration and a celebration of human ingenuity. Harding’s son Giles frequently joins him on his expeditions, and Giles became the youngest person ever to visit the South Pole in 2020.
Harding plans to establish the One More Orbit Foundation to inspire and sponsor the explorers of tomorrow to achieve the impossible through educational outreach in Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Mathematics.
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