List of people who descended to Challenger Deep

Sonar mapping of the Challenger Deep by the DSSV Pressure Drop employing a Kongsberg SIMRAD EM124 multibeam echosounder system (26 April–4 May 2019)

Challenger Deep (CD) is the deepest known point in the Earth's seabed hydrosphere, a slot-shaped valley in the floor of Mariana Trench, with depths exceeding 10,900 meters.[1] It is located in the Federated States of Micronesia.[2] In 2019, sonar mapping of Challenger Deep by the DSSV Pressure Drop, which employed a Kongsberg SIMRAD EM124 multi beam echosounder system, showed the bottom of Challenger Deep comprised three 'pools' – Western, Central and Eastern.[3]

In 1960, Don Walsh and Jacques Piccard were the first two humans to reach Challenger Deep, completing that dive as a team.[4] 52 years later, James Cameron became the first person to solo dive that point. Piccard, Walsh and Cameron remained the only people to reach the Challenger Deep until 2019, when regular dives in DSV Limiting Factor began. To date, 19 of the 22 successful descents have been made in the DSV Limiting Factor. No other craft has made a repeat descent.

Astronaut Kathryn D. Sullivan and mountaineer Vanessa O'Brien were the first two women to visit Challenger Deep in 2020.[5] Victor Vescovo has made the most dives to Challenger Deep; by August 2022 he had made eleven dives to the Eastern pool, two to the Western pool, and two to the Central pool for a total of 15 dives.[6][7]

The following is a list of individuals who have descended to Challenger Deep in the Federated States of Micronesia. These individuals will have descended at least 10,900 m (35,761 ft) into one of the three pools (western, central or eastern) that constitute Challenger Deep.[8][9]

No. Date Name Submersible Location Notes
1 January 23, 1960
Trieste Western Pool World first; depth record
2 March 25, 2012 James Cameron[10] Deepsea Challenger Eastern Pool First solo
3 April 28, 2019 Victor Vescovo[10] Limiting Factor Eastern Pool Depth record; two solo dives. First person to reach Earth's highest and lowest points.[11]
4 May 1, 2019
Limiting Factor Eastern Pool Deepest marine recovery
5 May 5, 2019 John Ramsay[12] Limiting Factor Central Pool Limiting Factor's designer. Pilot: Lahey
6 June 7, 2020[13] Kathryn Sullivan Limiting Factor Eastern Pool First woman and first astronaut. Pilot: Vescovo
7 June 12, 2020[14] Vanessa O'Brien Limiting Factor Eastern Pool First woman to Earth's highest and lowest points.[15][16] Pilot: Vescovo
8 June 14, 2020 John Rost[17] Limiting Factor Eastern Pool Longest time at bottom: 4.2 hours. Pilot: Vescovo
9 June 20, 2020 Kelly Walsh[18] Limiting Factor Western Pool Son of Don Walsh. First father and son. Pilot: Vescovo
10 June 22, 2020 Ying-Tsong Lin[19] Limiting Factor Central Pool First Asian person. Pilot: Vescovo
11 June 26, 2020 Jim Wigginton Limiting Factor Eastern Pool Oldest person. Pilot: Vescovo[20]
12 November 10, 2020
  • Zhāng Wěi 张伟 [21]
  • Zhào Yáng 赵洋 [21]
  • Wáng Zhì Qiáng 王治强 [21]
 Fendouzhe (奋斗者, Striver) Eastern Pool First PRC citizens. Pilot: Zhāng Wěi 张伟 [22][23][24][25]
13 March 1, 2021 Richard Garriott Limiting Factor Eastern Pool First to both poles, space and Challenger Deep. First male astronaut to Challenger Deep. Pilot: Vescovo [26][27]
14 March 3, 2021 Michael Dubno Limiting Factor Eastern Pool First Jewish person

Pilot: Vescovo[27]

15 March 5, 2021 Hamish Harding Limiting Factor Eastern Pool

Records for longest time at bottom (4.25 hours) and longest traverse at bottom (4.6 km). First crew to go to space and Challenger Deep together. Pilot: Vescovo[27][28][29][30]

16 March 11, 2021 Nicole Yamase Limiting Factor Western Pool First Pacific Islander. Pilot: Vescovo[27]
17 April 8, 2021
  • Rob McCallum
  • Tim Macdonald
 Limiting Factor Western Pool First New Zealander[31] and first Australian.[31] Pilot: Macdonald[32]
18 April 15, 2021
Limiting Factor Pilot: Patrick Lahey[33]
19 July 3, 2022 Aaron Newman Limiting Factor Central Pool

Pilot: Vescovo

20 July 5, 2022 Jim Kitchen Limiting Factor Eastern Pool

Pilot: Tim Macdonald [34]

21 July 7, 2022 Dylan Taylor Limiting Factor Eastern Pool

Pilot: Vescovo

22 July 12, 2022 Dawn Wright Limiting Factor Western Pool

First Black person. Pilot: Vescovo [35]

References

  1. ^ Nakanishi, Masao; Hashimoto, Jun. "A precise bathymetric map of the world's deepest seafloor, Challenger Deep in the Mariana Trench" (PDF). Nagasaki University. Retrieved 10 April 2011.
  2. ^ "Full Ocean Depth Submersible DNV-GL CERTIFICATION". The Five Deeps Expedition. Retrieved 4 May 2019.
  3. ^ Nakanishi, Masao; Hashimoto, Jun (2011). "A precise bathymetric map of the world's deepest seafloor, Challenger Deep in the Mariana Trench". Marine Geophysical Research. 32 (4): 455–463. Bibcode:2011MarGR..32..455N. doi:10.1007/s11001-011-9134-0. hdl:10069/25460. S2CID 55042876. Retrieved 5 May 2011.
  4. ^ Thornton, Stuart (11 June 2013). "Unsinkable Don Walsh". National Geographic. Retrieved 11 July 2013.
  5. ^ Clash, Jim. "Voyage To The Bottom Of The Earth". Forbes. Retrieved 18 June 2020.
  6. ^ "American explorer plunges to new lows on quest to visit the oceans' hidden depths". 24 November 2020.
  7. ^ "UCSB Geography Alum Dawn Wright Successfully Dives Challenger Deep | Department of Geography | UC Santa Barbara". www.geog.ucsb.edu. Retrieved 2023-03-07.
  8. ^ Amos, Jonathan (20 June 2020). "Mariana Trench: Don Walsh's son repeats historic ocean dive". BBC News. Retrieved 20 June 2020.
  9. ^ "Caladan Oceanic Revisits Challenger Deep in Month-Long Dive Series". tritonsubs.com. July 2020. Retrieved 29 July 2020.
  10. ^ a b c d Polmar, Norman; Mathers, Lee J. (2021). Opening the great depths : the bathyscaph Trieste and pioneers of undersea exploration. Annapolis, MD: Naval Institute Press. pp. 293–294. ISBN 978-16-824-7591-1.
  11. ^ "First person to reach Earth's highest and lowest points". Guinness World Records. 28 April 2019. Retrieved 2020-03-28.
  12. ^ "Interview - John Ramsay CTO Triton Submarines". 12 July 2016.
  13. ^ "Kathy Sullivan: The woman who's made history in sea and space". BBC News. 13 June 2020.
  14. ^ "Vanessa O'Brien: British-American explorer becomes first woman to reach Earth's highest and lowest points". Sky News. Retrieved 19 June 2020.
  15. ^ "First woman to reach Earth's highest and lowest points". Guinness World Records. 12 June 2020. Retrieved 20 June 2020.
  16. ^ "JANE WALKER BY JOHNNIE WALKER BRINGS TOGETHER NETWORK OF TRAILBLAZING 'FIRST WOMEN' TO CELEBRATE A YEAR OF WOMEN". Multi Vu. Retrieved 10 December 2020.
  17. ^ "Mariana Trench: Don Walsh's son repeats historic ocean dive". BBC News. 20 June 2020.
  18. ^ "60 Years After Don Walsh Dove to Earth's Deepest Point, Son Kelly Repeats the Feat". Forbes.
  19. ^ "WHOI Researcher Dives to Challenger Deep".
  20. ^ "Mapping, listening at the bottom of the sea - Welcome to NOAA Research". 27 August 2020.
  21. ^ a b c Yu, Sinan (March 1, 2021). "勇闯深海10909米". People's Daily. Retrieved March 16, 2022.
  22. ^ "巡航"挑战者深渊" "奋斗者"号"妙不可言"的深海之旅都经历了什么".
  23. ^ "Chinese submarine reaches the deepest place on Earth". interestingengineering.com. 30 November 2020. Retrieved 2021-04-26.
  24. ^ "Chinese Submersible "Fendouzhe" Descended to Earth's Deepest Oceanic Trench". sciencetimes.com. Retrieved 2021-04-26.
  25. ^ "Chinese Manned Submersible Reaches Deepest Part of Mariana Trench". interestingengineering.com. 26 November 2020. Retrieved 2021-04-26.
  26. ^ "Astronaut-explorer sets records on dive to deepest point on Earth". collectspace.com. Retrieved 6 March 2021.
  27. ^ a b c d "Victor Vescovo and Passengers Accomplish Additional Dives to Challenger Deep". rovplanet.com. 24 March 2021. Retrieved 2022-02-21.
  28. ^ "Longest duration at full ocean depth by a crewed vessel". 5 March 2021.
  29. ^ "Longest distance traversed at full ocean depth by a crewed vessel". 5 March 2021.
  30. ^ "Exclusive: Meet Victor Vescovo, the Deep Ocean Explorer Who Just Went to Space". 10 June 2022.
  31. ^ a b "'The ANZAC Dive': Australian, New Zealander Dive To Challenger Deep - DeeperBlue.com". www.deeperblue.com. Retrieved 2021-04-10.
  32. ^ "History-making 10.9km 'Anzac Dive' to the bottom of the Mariana Trench". stuff.co.nz. 13 April 2021. Retrieved 17 April 2021.
  33. ^ "Ohio businessman and entrepreneur discovers 'scientific gold' during historic ocean dives". Cincinnati.com. 2 May 2021. Retrieved 20 July 2022.
  34. ^ Murphy, Kate (29 June 2022). "After his recent trip to outer space, UNC professor is going to Earth's deepest point". newsobserver.com. Retrieved 20 July 2022.
  35. ^ "Dawn Wright becomes first Black person to reach the deepest known spot on Earth". CBS. 22 September 2022. Retrieved 18 May 2023.