Richard Branson: Astronaut, Aquanaut, Google Earth contributor
Billionaire chairman of Virgin Group Richard Branson is planning a foray into the depths of the ocean - and he plans to send back topographical data to Google Earth.
Richard Branson is not just planning to head suborbital with paying passengers. He has also announced plans to head down under, as in, under the ocean to the sea floor. And according to the LA Times, the one-man submarine will be feeding topographical data never seen before back to Google Earth.
The submarine, Techland reported, is about 18 feet long, capable of 24 hours of life support, a maximum speed of 3 knots. It's capable of operating at a depth of seven miles, which means the dome covering the pilot's seat is carved from solid quartz, said Techland. Glass wouldn't withstand the pressure.
The first foray is to the Mariana Trench, 11km down, piloted by Chris Welsh later this year. The last human presence here was in 1960 when the Trieste "briefly touched down", Virgin Oceanic's website said, carrying co-pilots Don Walsh and Jacques Piccard.
The second dive to the bottom of the Puerto Rico trench will be piloted by Richard Branson. The website said after the first dive, four more are planned within 24 months.
And the LA Times has reported that the sub will be feeding data from the trip back to Google Earth, the free 3-D mapping tool offered by Google, as well as to scientists from the University of Hawaii, University of Alaska and many more.
The paper reported a Google spokesperson as saying "With this expedition, we hope to better understand the unique conditions and ecosystems that exist in the oceans and share them with the world through Google Earth."
Whether Richard Branson will now move on to creating power armour and an alter ego in Green Goblin-esque style, NBR feels remains to be seen.
NBR Staff
Sat, 09 Apr 2011
Sat, 09 Apr 2011
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Richard Branson: Astronaut, Aquanaut, Google Earth contributor
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