Samudrayaan mission objective: From deep-sea exploration, India wants clean energy
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India is gearing up for an exciting mission – the Samudrayaan mission. This will be the country's first manned exploration of the deep ocean.
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President Droupadi Murmu expressed hope that it will achieve the same success as the Chandrayaan-3 mission, which made history by landing on the Moon's south pole.
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Samudrayaan mission objective is to study resources and biodiversity at a depth of 6,000 meters, pushing the boundaries of marine exploration.
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The mission will utilise a self-propelled submersible called Matsya 6000, which is capable of carrying three humans and equipped with advanced scientific instruments for a 12-hour exploration window.
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A successful Samudrayaan mission launch in 2026 will place India among the select few nations with deep-sea travel capabilities, including China, France, Japan, Russia, and the United States.
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The seabed holds vast quantities of polymetallic nodules, rich in minerals essential for electric vehicle batteries, triggering a global race for deep-sea mining (DSM).
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Clean Energy Potential: Seabed mining offers a potential pathway for India's transition to clean energy sources, aligning with its climate commitments under the Paris Agreement.
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India has secured exploration contracts with the International Seabed Authority (ISA) for both polymetallic nodules and sulphides, aiming to tap into the estimated potential of 380 million tonnes of resources.
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Challenges Ahead: India's ambitions for clean energy through DSM face numerous technical, economic, and environmental hurdles requiring innovative solutions and responsible management.
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Towards a Sustainable Future: Overcoming these challenges will be crucial for India to harness the deep-sea's potential for clean energy while ensuring environmental sustainability and responsible resource utilisation. In short, Samudrayaan mission has a tough job to do.