Jiaolong, China's manned submersible, went through a dive simulation¹ in Sanya, Hainan Province on Saturday to prepare for a deep descent² in the South China Sea.

 

中国载人潜水器蛟龙号周六在海南三亚进行了一次模拟潜水试验，为将来在南海深潜做准备。
 

 

The submersible stayed underwater for 18 minutes in Saturday's drill before returning Xiangyanghong 09, the mother ship, completing tasks including underwater training for its crew.

 

Zhang Weijia, who participated, said she was very excited entering the submersible for the first time to learn about its facilities, practical operation and emergency escape.

 

Jiaolong's South China Sea dive is part of the second stage of China's 38th ocean scientific expedition. The expedition will last for about four months.

 

The drill was necessary for testing equipment and personnel³, said Wu Changbin, general commander of the second stage of the expedition. Currently⁴ the Jiaolong's "technological⁵ status" is stable and the cooperation among various departments is smooth, Wu said.

 

Jiaolong completed a deep-sea operation in the northwestern Indian Ocean earlier this year in the mission's first stage. It will also conduct surveys in the Yap Trench⁶ and the Mariana Trench in the third stage.

 

Named after a mythical⁷ dragon, Jiaolong reached its deepest depth of 7,062 meters in the Mariana Trench in June 2012.

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