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Episode 1

Episode 1 of 4

Rebecca Morelle meets the explorers building submersibles to return to the deepest point of the ocean, the Mariana Trench, nearly 11 kilometres beneath the surface.

Located in the western pacific, the Mariana Trench is the deepest part of the ocean, plunging down 11km.

Down there it's pitch black, icy cold and the pressure is immense.

The only time it was visited, was over 50 years ago by US naval lieutenant Don Walsh and Swiss engineer Jacques Picard.

Now four teams of explorers are risking their lives in a new race to the deep.

Rebecca Morelle travels to California to meet former property developer Chris Welsh who is hoping to travel by himself to the bottom of the trench in a five metre long torpedo like submarine equipped with wings and a tail fin.

Her next stop is with the Triton team, who take her for a ride under the Caribbean sea in one of their submersibles, a prototype for the vessel that will be able to travel to the Mariana Trench.

Rebecca also reports on a project being lead by James Cameron, the director of the film Titanic. And her final visit is to DOER Marine, where Liz Taylor tells her about the company鈥檚 plans to build a reusable submarine.

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27 minutes

Last on

Mon 27 Feb 2012 03:32GMT

Broadcasts

  • Mon 20 Feb 2012 19:32GMT
  • Tue 21 Feb 2012 04:32GMT
  • Tue 21 Feb 2012 12:32GMT
  • Sat 25 Feb 2012 11:32GMT
  • Mon 27 Feb 2012 03:32GMT

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