New Terrestrial Tours Feature Deep Sea Vents, RMS Titanic
The search for the origins of life in the universe has taken scientists from the deepest reaches of space to the depths of the ocean. Now, the leading space tourism company is expanding its programs to the ocean floor.
Space Adventures, Ltd. announced today the availability of two new tours to the bottom of the world’s oceans to explore a world-famous wreck and witness never-before-seen ‘alien’ ecosystems using state-of-the-art submersibles. Terrestrial Tours: InnerSpace are part of Space Adventures’ Steps to Space® program preparing explorers for the ultimate adventure: space flight.
“Space and deep ocean exploration have many similarities,” said Space Adventures’ Chairman and expedition leader Mike McDowell. “Both extreme environments require pressurized craft and will ultimately lead to a better understanding of how life originated.”
In September 2003, Space Adventures will take the very first private explorers to the Nine North hydrothermal vents, 8600 feet below the Pacific Ocean. Along with a team of deep-ocean scientists, divers will observe the immense chimneys – up to five stories tall – that support chemical-based ecosystems and house some of the oldest life forms on Earth.
Without sunlight, these marine animals flourish because of a process known as chemosynthesis, which allows life in full darkness and under tremendous pressures. The same process is leading the theories for life existing on extraterrestrial bodies, including Jupiter’s moon Europa.
Prior to departing for Nine North, Space Adventures will offer tours to the legendary Titanic wreck, nearly 13,000 feet under the Atlantic. Set for July, divers are invited to follow in the footsteps of Titanic director James Cameron as they explore the areas of the sunken ship.
“Titanic’s story stands as modern myth,” said McDowell. “A luxurious dream ship brimming with the Gilded Age’s celebrities and its steerage class, a technological wonder so sophisticated, so sound, as to be deemed invulnerable. Add to that the tragic elements of human error and the inexorable power of nature, and the tale of Titanic becomes a poignant chapter in humanity’s collective history.”
Both the Nine North and the Titanic dives will use the Russian MIR I and MIR II submersibles, vessels capable of diving to 20,000 feet. Housed aboard the RV Akademik Keldysh, the MIRs are among the few manned submersibles in the world that can reach these depths, and have been used for both scientific expeditions and film projects including Cameron’s recent Discovery Channel documentary Expedition: Bismarck.
Space Adventures, Ltd., the world’s leading space tourism company, offers a wide range of space experiences, from zero-gravity and edge of space flights, cosmonaut training and space flight qualification programs, to actual flights into space. Headquartered in Arlington, VA and with an office in Moscow, Russia, Space Adventures is the only company to successfully launch private individuals to the International Space Station. For more information, visit http://www.spaceadventures.com or call 1-703-524-7172.
