China has developed the world's first system to reach the deepest point in the ocean to lay cables needed for underwater exploration.
Dalian Maritime University, Nantong Liwei Machinery Company and Jiangsu Hengtong Huahai Technology Company have developed a winch system able to lay cables in the deepest known place in the ocean, local outlet Guangming Daily reported.
The deepest part of the sea is believed to be the Challenger Deep, a basin located at the southern end of the Mariana Trench in the western Pacific Ocean, which has a depth of 11,000 meters.
The cable systems are used to carry various deep-sea equipment, such as detectors and remotely operated underwater vehicles, according to Kaida Electrical, meaning they are a fundamental piece of equipment in deep-sea research and exploration.
Newsweek has contacted the Dalian Maritime University, Nantong Liwei Machinery Company and Jiangsu Hengtong Huahai Technology Company via email for comment.
As scientific research delves even deeper into the ocean, the demand for winch systems to carry vessels further has been increasing.
The system, the Haiwei GD11000, can deploy cables at 11,000 meters, according to the South Morning China Post, a significant increase from the previous record depth, which was held by the Italian company Prysmian.
Prysmian had broken the record in the summer by laying a cable at a depth of 2,150 meters, according to a statement released on its website.
The Haiwei GD11000 can also carry a weight of around 15 tons, according to China Daily. It can also reach speeds of around 120 meters per minute, according to Sputnik International.
The system completed its first major test in October when it deployed a cable just over 11,000 meters deep in the South China Sea, Interesting Engineering reported.
The winch system will reportedly be used to conduct regular deep-sea and polar survey operations, according to Guangming Daily.
While the Haiwei GD11000 allows for more extensive research to be conducted in the deepest part of the ocean, exploration of the region actually began over 100 years ago.
It was in March 1875 that the HMS Challenger, a survey ship that was part of the United Kingdom's Royal Navy, found the deepest point in the ocean, according to All That's Interesting.
Challenger Deep is deeper than Mount Everest is tall, and there is no light. It is also cold, with temperatures just above freezing at 32 degrees Fahrenheit. The pressure is more than 1,000 times higher than the standard atmospheric pressure at sea level, according to All That's Interesting.
However, despite the harsh conditions, scientists have found some life in the Challenger Deep, such as plankton, sea cucumbers and sea fleas, the outlet reported.
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