Alvin Gets Back to Work After $42 Million Retrofit

Alvin Gets Back to Work After $42 Million Retrofit

Barely a week since successfully completing sea trials after a three year hiatus, the venerable research sub Alvin is already earning back the $42 million in hardware upgrades and engineering retrofits it’s received—showing off its spacious new three-crew cabin with a quick dive to the bottom of the Gulf of Mexico. But this is no pleasure cruise.

Read more…


    



How a Classic Deep Sea Robot will Sweep 98 Percent of the Ocean Floor [Monster Machines]

Over the course of 4,400 dives, Alvin has done just about everything. Its recovered lost nukes, explored the ruins of the HMS Titanic, and upturned our understanding of the deep sea with the discovery of hydrothermal vents bustling with unimaginable forms of life. But after 48 years of service, the venerable ROV is starting to show its age, and is quickly being eclipsed by newer models. More »