Mir (submersible)

Mir 1 and Mir 2 are two identical Russian research submarines that were constructed for use in large depths of several thousand meters. The small boats can carry up to three persons to whom they allow through small portholes a look into the deep sea. With a gripping arm, samples can be collected.

Both boats are stationed on board the Akademik Mstislav Keldysh Russian research vessel and belong together with their shipborne the PP Shirshov Institute of Oceanology of the Russian Academy of Sciences.

Mir submarines were known primarily by the film Titanic, where they are seen at diving trips at the real wreck of the RMS Titanic in 3803 meters depth. To fund the research of the boats and the Akademik Mstislav Keldysh, also dive trips for interested individuals are offered for several years.

Dive to the geographic North Pole

On 2 August 2007 was rammed by Me 1 in 4,621 meters depth the Russian flag into the seabed below the North Pole geographical. With the ambitious expedition Moscow wants to make his claim to nearly 1.2 million square kilometers of territory in the polar region - an area that is as large as Germany over three times. The aim of the expedition was to gather scientific evidence that the underwater mountain is connected to the North Pole with the Russian mainland. The Russian Institute of Arctic and Antarctic Research Institute St. Petersburg is working closely with the Leibniz Institute of Marine Sciences in Kiel (IFM- GEOMAR). For September 2007, a joint dive from the research vessel Ivan Petrov was planned.

Specifications

• Pressure body Material: Martensitic steel alloy with 30 % cobalt and minor amounts of nickel, chromium and titanium.
• Diameter: 2.1 m

• Middle: 200 mm Ø
• To the side: 2 x 120 mm Ø