FRONTIERS IN OCEANIC RESEARCH 27 



had no one who was really thoroughly trained or thoroughly ac- 

 quainted with the bathyscaph. 



There were no printed instructions, or precepts, other than the 

 personal experience of one man, Jacques Piccard. He was brought to 

 the United States in a consultant's status, and has worked with us up 

 to the culmination of the deep dive in the Pacific. 



Despite the small number of dives, those that have been made, I 

 think, are of significance. We expect that we will have the bathyscaph 

 instrumented and operated for a variety of oceanographers off San 

 Diego starting in the fall. 



We have a few miscellaneous problems which are outlined in the 

 statement, and I will leave these for the record, and conclude with 

 that statement. 



(The full text of Dr. Eechnitzer's prepared statement is as follows :) 



Statement by Dr. Andreas B. Rechnitzer, U.S. Navy Electronics Labora- 

 tory, San Diego, Calif., on the U.S. Navy Bathyscaph Program 



Mr. Chairman and members of the committee, the U.S. Navy bathyscaph 

 Trieste successfully penetrated to the deepest known location in the oceans on 

 January 23, 1960. Carrying two men 7 miles below the ocean's surface this 

 scientific breakthrough has opened all of the ocean waters to exploration and 

 exploitation. In the execution of this feat and the preliminary dives leading 

 up to achieving the ultimate in deep dives (70 in total for the Trieste) the 

 bathyscaph program has yielded scientific and technical information of major 

 importance to future manned exploration of the oceans. 



The Honorable George P. Miller, member of this committee, recognized the 

 importance of this dive and acknowledged the feat by an entry in the Ap- 

 pendix of the Congressional Record published February 3, 1960. The item 

 was entitled "Oceanography: Jules Verne 1960." Herein he acknowledged the 

 relatively unheralded accomplishment of the U.S. Project Nekton that included 

 in its program the deepest known possible descent by man ; that is, to the bottom 

 of the Challenger Deep (35,800 feet) . 



The 5-hour descent permitted adequate time for observations of the environ- 

 mental conditions characteristic of the 7-mile column of water. On the sea 

 floor, 35,800 feet down in the Challenger Deep, the occupants of the sphere 

 viewed living organisms, observed the physical characteristics of the sea floor 

 and conveyed to the surface by voice via an electronic acoustic device that they 

 were safely at the bottom. The deep dive stands by itself as a significant 

 achievement by man in his unending attempt to expand his capabilities to oc- 

 cupy and investigate more of the Earth's spaces. The record descents made 

 during Project Nekton (18,600 feet, 24,000 and 35,800 feet) are in reality only 

 a byproduct of a scientific program seeking information of diverse types. Tech- 

 nologically it does represent a significant milestone which will undoubtedly 

 incite future development in deep submersibles and equipment for manned and 

 unmanned exploration and exploitation of "inner space." The development of 

 a vehicle with the capabilities of the Trieste, makes a greater part of the 

 oceans' 1,370 million cubic kilometers of water available as an operating medium 

 for national security. It also renders much of the 361 million square kilo- 

 meters of sea floor accessible for the search of minerals, fuels, and other natural 

 resources. Prior to any significant utilization of this geographic frontier there 

 is a requirement for the development of basic knowledge about the deep sea 

 environment and the operational problems that are to be encountered. This 

 bathyscaph program and the era of undersea operation is now in effect, but it 

 obviously involves only a modest nucleus of equipment and personnel. The 

 bathyscaph, as purchased by the United States, is in reality a model "T" of the 

 deep subersibles. It has, however, conquered the depth barrier and points 

 the way to more advanced vehicles. Nevertheless, as far as we know, it is 

 still the best in the world. French and Russian bathyscaphs under development 

 will undoubtedly surpass the versatility of the Trieste. 



