TRIESTE I 



LENGTH: 59.5 ft 



BEAM 11.5 ft 



HEIGHT: NA 



DRAFT: '8 ft 



WEIGHT (DRY): NA 



OPERATING DEPTH: No known ocean limit 



COLLAPSE DEPTH: 60,000 ft 



LAUNCH DATE: 1953 



HATCH DIAMETER: 1 6.9'in. I D; 22.5-in. CD 



LIFE SUPPORT (MAX): NA 



TOTAL POWER: NA 



SPEED (KNOTS): CRUISE 0.5 



MAX 0.5 



CREW: PILOTS 1 



OBSERVERS 2 



PAYLOAD: NA 



PRESSURE HULL: Spherical shape of three, Ni-Cr Mo steel forgings 6.25nn. ID and 5 to 7 in. thick. 



BALLAST/BUOYANCY: Buoyancy provided by 29,000 gal of aviation gasoline. Eleven tons of steel shot ballast carried in two hoppers is released 



to offset compresston of gasoline as vehicle goes deeper. Release controlled through an electromagnet valve. Additional shot release over amount 



required to offset gasoline compression initiates ascent. A small fixed percentage of gasoline may be released to offset over release of shot if 



necessary. 



PROPULSION/CONTROL: Two, 2-hp motors used for propulsion and steering. Motors in light casings filled with Trichtorethelene and 



pressure-compensated, 



TRIM: Some bow angles obtainable by dropping shot only from one hopper. 



POWER SOURCE: initially lead-acid batteries in the sphere, these were replaced by silver-zinc batteries. 



LIFE SUPPORT: Compressed, gaseous Ot at constant flow rate equivalent to usage of two men, passed through an eductor, draws cabin air through 



three Drager (LiOH) cannjsters to remove CO2- 



VIEWING: Two plastic conical viewports 2-in. ID, 16-in. OD and 7 in. thick. 



OPERATING/SCIENTIFIC EQUIPMENT: UQC. echo sounder, depth gage. 



MANIPULATORS: None. 



SAFETY FEATURES: Electromagnetic shot valves fall open upon loss of power. Each of the two hoppers held in place electromagnetically may be 



jettisoned if valves fail and will release automatically in event of power loss. Gasoline compartments sized such that loss of ail gasoline in one 



compartment will not reduce buoyancy below ability of reserve shot to compensate. 



SURFACE/SHORE SUPPORT: Sea-going tug for tow to and from dive site. 



OWNER: U.S. Navy. 



BUILDER: Auguste and Jacques Piccard. 



REMARKS: The above description is from the 1953-1959 period. TRIESTE I established and still holds the world's deepest dive record: 35,800 ft 



in the Challenger Deep (200 miles southwest of Guam) on 23 Jan. 1960, Aboard during this dive was Jacques Piccard and LT Don Walsh, USN. The 



float is now on display in the Navy Yard, Wash., D,C. 



233^ 



