Oceanography 102, R. Strickland Deep-sea Vehicle Review Sheet
Revised 1/15/09
Improvements over Previous
Vehicles
Limitations
Vehicle
Mobility
Utility
Mobility
Utility
Bathysphere
(Beebe 3000 ft
1934) [&
Benthoscope
(Barton 4500 ft
1949)]
3500 ft cable &
winch
Phone &
electric cable
oxygen tanks
window with
spotlight
Vertical
(tethered)
Heaving &
tangling, weight
No
maneuverability
Negatively
buoyant
No depth gauge
Cold &
uncomfortable
FNRS-2 (4500 ft.
1948)
Untethered
Positively buoyant
with uncrushable
gasoline float &
ballast
Batteries
Weak
maneuverability
Flimsy float
FNRS-3 (13,000 ft
1954)
Untethered
Larger, stronger
float
Soucoupe
(Cousteau 1957-
59)
Untethered
Water jets for
propulsion &
steering
Mercury liquid trim
Spin, climb, dive
vertically
Positively buoyant
with float & ballast
Smaller &
lighter
Could be lifted
loaded
10 view ports
Cabin comfort
Claw & basket
Lighting &
cameras
Rated for 1000
ft (survived
3000+ ft)
Trieste I (35,700
ft 1960)
Untethered
Stronger gasoline
float & automatic
ballast
Larger flotation
tank & pressure
sphere
Plexiglas
windows
Acoustic
telephone
“Balloon in
reverse”
“More elevator
than
submarine”
Too heavy to
lift, had to be
towed
Weak
horizontal
mobility
Temperature of
gasoline
Depth gauge
calibration
Flimsy float
Small window
Difficult to
service
Trieste II
Stronger float
Remote control
arm & claw
Alvin (1965)
Syntactic foam
Propeller(s) for
maneuvering &
propulsion
Remote control
arm & claw
Lights &
cameras
Can be lifted
loaded
Rated to 15,000
ft
Small windows
