60 



and vehicles equipment and systems under con- 

 trolled and monitored conditions. Intensi\e re- 

 search will be conducted on material problems 

 associated with 20,000-foot depth vehicles. 



An in situ test range being built at San Clemente 

 Island, under the direction of the Naval Ordnance 

 Test Station, will be completed by the end of the 

 fiscal year and will be available for testing DSSP 

 components and systems. 



3. Man-in-the-Sea 



This system's objective is to provide a capability 

 for support of rescue and salvage operations, 

 maintenance of bottom-moimted equipment, ex- 

 ploration and exploitation of the continental shelf, 

 and possible assistance in military operations 

 associated, for example, with mine defense and 

 amphibious assaults. Emphasis will be on the 

 adaptation of man to the deep sea environment 

 at ambient pressure for the particular depths of 

 operations. The program will increase the effec- 

 tiveness of all other DSSP systems. Man-in-the- 

 Sea will involve: 



(a) Physiological research and experimentation. 



(b) Mobile pressure equipment development 

 needed for decompression. 



(c) Smface ship modifications to support diving 

 operations. 



(d) Adxanced sea habitations to pro\ide un- 

 derwater li\ing and storage facilities to futine 

 acjuanauts. 



(e) Development of auxiliary items such as im- 

 proved diver-to-diver and diver-to-surface com- 

 mimications, and improved imderwater propul- 

 sion devices. 



An advanced development objective also exists 

 for extension of Man-in-the-Sea technology, first 

 to depths below the continental shelf and ul- 

 timately down to the physiological limits of man. 



Initially, one advanced sea habitation and its 

 auxiliary equipment will be established on the 

 continental shelf. Divers will then be able to 

 operate from this shelter for a month or more 

 without coming to the surface. SEALAB I and II, 

 Man-in-the-Sea experiments conducted off Ber- 

 muda in 1964 and La Jolla, California, in 1965 

 respecti\ely demonstrated that one diver, living 

 at 200 feet without daily decompression, can 

 perform as much work in six hours as 35 divers 

 operating from the sinface. During the latest 



experiment — SEALAB II — two major programs 

 were conducted: 



(a) A human performance program designed 

 to gain an overall estimate of man's undersea 

 working capabilities. 



(b) An oceanographic program, consisting of 

 various physical and biological activities which 

 can only be accomplished on the sea floor. 



In FY 1967, refurbishment and implementation 

 of the SEALAB equipment will be started and 

 the operational site selected and prepared. A 

 SEALAB III experiment at 400 feet will be con- 

 ducted to obtain necessary data for deeper depth 

 operations. 



A biomedical, physiological, and hydrobiological 

 research program will also be conducted to sup- 

 port the development program. 



4. Large Object Salvage 



This system's objective is to provide the capa- 

 bility to recover large objects — including sunken 

 ships — of a deadweight lift of 1,000-tons from 

 continental shelf depths, 600 to 850 feet. To 

 accomplish this mission, external lift will be sup- 

 plied by collapsible pontoons, with a combined 

 buoyancy of up to 1,000 tons. Underwater work 

 will be accomplished by divers equipped with 

 appropriate tools and devices, possibly including 

 manned vehicles. The medical and physiological 

 research and development required for safely 

 conducting deep diving work will be provided 

 by the Man-in-the-Sea program. In addition, 

 feasibility studies and prototype development 

 will be conducted to resolve the problems asso- 

 ciated with salvage operations at submarine 

 collapse depths. 



Buoyancy materials will be developed to lighten 

 objects, and for exerting an external lift. Investiga- 

 tion, object preparation, and rigging will be 

 accomplished using divers or manned submersi- 

 bles developed under the Man-in-the-Sea rescue 

 and search programs. When achieved, this system 

 objective — deep ocean salvage — will extend man's 

 work capabilities far below the 280 feet presently 

 attainable by standard diving methods. 



A program will be conducted in FY 1967 to 

 develop and then procure underwater work equip- 

 ment such as drills, hull attachment devices, 

 power sources, cutting devices, and collapsible 

 pontoons. Additionally, detailed design for the 



