BBC:
Last year, movie director James Cameron took his
Deepsea Challenger submarine
to
the bottom of the Mariana Trench, almost 11 kilometers
below the surface of the Pacific Ocean. He was the first person
to have done so in 50 years, and the only one ever to do it
solo. While submerged, he filmed three-dimensional images for a
National Geographic movie to be released later this year.
Because of a lack of funding, however, Cameron decided he would
be unable to make a second dive, so he is donating the sub to
the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. The institution,
which already operates its own fleet of submersibles, plans to
use components from Cameron's vehicle, such as its lights and
cameras. Cameron hopes that the
Deepsea Challenger will dive again, but he says that
at least its hardware and technology will be preserved.
