The bottom of the sea can often be inhospitable and hostile. However, some people wouldn’t mind relocating to this remote environment. Meanwhile, other individuals are trying to facilitate this move by developing livable infrastructure in the ocean depths.
Vanguard. DEEP is one of the companies focused on this goal. The team is currently working on the Vanguard project, a prototype underwater habitat. If everything goes according to plan, the company will install it off the coast of Wales in the United Kingdom in the coming months.
Vanguard is a pilot project designed to advance the creation of underwater habitats for extended stays on the seafloor. The module measures 40 feet in length and 27 feet in width. It should be able to operate for around 28 days at depths of 656 feet and accommodate a crew of three.
“Vanguard will give us vital operational and build experience that can be applied to Sentinel. It’s one of the crucial steps in the progress curve towards having a permanent human presence under the ocean, which is hugely exciting for underwater exploration and technology,” DEEP CEO Kristen Tertoole said in a recent press release.
Sentinel. Vanguard is just the initial phase of Sentinel. This is a more ambitious project that aims to create a modular habitat that can serve as both living quarters and a laboratory for six-person crews. The modular design of this habitat will allow for future expansion, increasing the accommodation capacity of underwater labs.
What for? Why consider relocating to the depths of the sea? While it may seem like an outlandish idea, there are strong reasons behind it. The goal isn’t extreme tourism, although these kinds of habitats could certainly attract interest. Rather, the aim is to address the challenges of decompression.
Underwater research missions (as well as rescue operations) are restricted by the time necessary for the human body to acclimate to different pressure conditions. At certain depths, this acclimatization period can sometimes take longer than the actual mission.
By operating from an underwater base, divers can minimize the time needed for adaptation, making their tasks easier and reducing overall operational time. This approach can benefit oceanographic research missions and underwater rescue operations.
A major challenge. The DEEP team is working from the company’s facilities along the Bristol Channel coast to address the challenges of underwater life. Rick Goddard, director of engineering at DEEP, told the journal IEEE Spectrum that one significant issue involves the atmosphere within the living modules.
The air in these cabins isn’t the same as the air found in Earth’s atmosphere. Nitrogen can become harmful underwater, so it needs to be replaced with other gases, such as helium.
However, a helium atmosphere presents its own challenges. Helium is a better thermal conductor than nitrogen. As such, it requires heating to ensure the thermal comfort of the inhabitants of the underwater capsules. This adjustment also affects the development of the module’s electronic components.
FLIP. Vanguard and Sentinel aren’t DEEP’s only projects. In 2024, the company acquired one of the most unique oceanographic ships. FLIP is a marine research platform capable of flipping in the middle of the ocean. DEEP plans to refurbish the vessel, which was saved from being scrapped in Mexico, so it can continue operating as an oceanographic research platform.
Image | Jeremy Bishop
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