Samudrayaan mission’s Matsya-6000 to undergo initial ‘Wet Test’ this October

In a step towards its ambitious Samudrayaan mission in 2026, India is set to take the maiden wet test of the manned ocean mission in the last week of October this year. The test is going to take place at the Chennai harbor at a depth of 15 metres.

The wet test will evaluate the performance of the mission’s submersible, Matsya-6000 in real underwater conditions.

Once the wet test is completed, a shallow water test is scheduled for 2025 and the final unmanned deep sea tests in 2026.

Recently, the Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES) and the National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT) have announced the successful integration of Matsya-600. All components of the submersible have been integrated and fixed, stated a senior ministry official.

The wet test will be a crucial step towards the launch of Matsya-600. It is a three-crew deep-submergence vehicle which is designed for deep-sea exploration. Matsya-600 can dive to depths of 6,000 meters below sea level and can investigate rare minerals and other unexplored things in the sea.

The mission will consist of three crew members, one of whom is supposed to be a retired Navy submariner and the other two crew members are yet to be selected. The retired Navy submariner will be selected through the screening process which will be conducted by the Institute of Naval Medicine(INM). Once selected, the crew will go under the rigorous training module at INM  for two weeks, after which they will receive focused training in the Matsya-6000 cockpit to learn about its design and technology.

The sea exploration mission got the green light in 2021 from the  Union with an overall estimated cost of Rs 4,077 crore for two phases of the mission period during 2021-2026. The submersible consists of cutting-edge technologies, including advanced life support systems, navigation equipment, robotic arms for sample collection, and high-resolution imaging systems.

Apart from scientific research and technological advancements, the mission offers immediate benefits like innovations in underwater engineering for asset inspection, tourism, and ocean literacy. He further said, “Manned submersible facilitates the direct observation by the human in the deep ocean in exploring mineral resources rich in nickel, cobalt, rare piles of earth, manganese, etc., and collection of samples, which can be used for analysis.”

What is a Wet Test?

The wet test evaluates the submersible’s capacity to endure high underwater pressure and verifies the operation of essential systems, including life support, propulsion, and communication.

It will help the crew to identify the challenges they might face during the final mission. It will also prepare for a crewed mission that will send three people into the depths of the ocean.

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