Deep Sea News : Alvin 2.0

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Craig is temporarily a post-doctoral fellow at the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute who is looking for a permanent position. He spends most of his time balancing his overwhelming geekdom with normalcy so he can function in the real world. Luckily his wife likes his geekiness.

Peter Etnoyer is a Graduate Research Associate at the Harte Research Institute for Gulf of Mexico Studies, Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi. He studies deep corals and ocean fronts, and he loves to be on the water.

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Alvin 2.0

Category: Vessels and Equipment
Posted on: August 1, 2007 9:53 AM, by CR McClain

It appears that Lockheed Martin will be building the replacement for the Alvin submersible, which I am now officially calling A2. The price for A2? WHOI awarded the contract for a reasonable $2.8 million. Call me crazy, but submersible technology must have went down in price because this seems low. Besides new submersible smell and fancy rims, A2's features will include

A larger sphere for the 3-person crew
Greater visibility for the crew
Increased payload capabilities
A 6500m verses the 4500m of A1 depth maximum
~~Long-range weapon capabilities~~

Too bad it will not be ready to help scour the seabed for cannabis.

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Comments

you mean it's not going to have any frickin lasers? Isn't this the 21st century?

Posted by: Jim Lemire | August 1, 2007 1:48 PM

Jim, Alvin does and will have lasers! We use them as a size reference in the video. A pair of lasers is fixed above the camera and the width is 10cm apart.

I hear A2 will have a bumpin sound system. Aww Yeeeeahh!

Posted by: Kevin Z | August 1, 2007 2:14 PM

Lasers are actually standard for submersibles and ROV's. Most have at least two, but three and four are becoming more common and provide more accurate measurements of organisms.

Posted by: CR McClain | August 1, 2007 3:39 PM

Cool. I had no idea about the lasers - makes sense.

Not sure Dr. Evil had those type of lasers in mind though...

Posted by: Jim Lemire | August 1, 2007 6:59 PM

The Tyrone report keeps confusing "cannabis" and "cocaine," leading me to think that they have experience with neither.

The A2 story also mentions that $2.8 mil if for design of the Alvin's replacement. I'm sure the actual construction will cost more, if Lockheed's track record means anything...

Posted by: ceabaird | August 1, 2007 7:05 PM

Lasers? Guys, subs have "inertial dampers".

Well, at least for the sub itself, and away from the water-air interface. :-P

Posted by: Torbjörn Larsson, OM | August 1, 2007 7:27 PM

I see the key is the design is 2.8 million....

Posted by: CR McClain | August 1, 2007 8:28 PM

Well, unlike scientists, engineers actually make good money. Someone's got to keep their country club memberships renewed!

Posted by: Kevin Z | August 1, 2007 8:39 PM

engineers actually make good money

No no, it is the company directors that makes the big bucks. See, now they can retool their CAD systems and retrain their engineers because this is a prestige project which will have "the latest". Big bonuses in store for diverting money into company capital - someone's got to keep their country club houses rebuilt!

Posted by: Torbjörn Larsson, OM | August 2, 2007 12:59 AM

#10

Too bad it will not be ready to help scour the seabed for cannabis

Save the Bales!

Posted by: Graculus | August 2, 2007 8:38 AM

#11

That's odd... I wasn't aware there was a marine variety of cannabis. Is it a hybrid variety or was it grafted onto some kelp?

Posted by: stogoe | August 2, 2007 9:40 AM

#12

Seaweed. Heh heh.

Posted by: Peter McGrath | August 8, 2007 4:47 AM