 Fendouzhe aboard its mother ship Tan Suo Yi Hao | |
| History | |
|---|---|
 PRC | |
| Name | Striver |
| Awarded | CSSC |
| Completed | 2020 |
| Acquired | 2020 |
| Commissioned | 2020 |
| Maiden voyage | 2020 |
| In service | 2020 |
| Status | Active |
| Class overview | |
| Operators | Institute of Deep-sea Science and Engineering as part of the Chinese Academy of Sciences[1] |
| Preceded by | Deep Sea Warrior |
| General characteristics | |
| Displacement | 36 long tons (37 t) |
| Endurance | 6 hours |
| Complement | 3 |
| Sensors and processing systems | Various |
Striver (Fen-Dou-Zhe; Chinese: 奋斗者) bathyscaphe is a type of deep-submergence vehicle built in the People's Republic of China (PRC).[2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9] It was built by China State Shipbuilding Corporation (CSSC).[3][5] It can accommodate three crew members,[2][3][4][5] and is designed to reach depths of more than 10,000 meters.[2][3][4][5][6][7] Striver is equipped with two mechanical arms, seven underwater cameras, seven sonars, hydraulic drills, and other scientific devices.[2][9]
On 10 November 2020, the bottom of the Challenger Deep was reached by Striver with three Chinese scientists (Zhang Wei, Zhao Yang, and Wang Zhiqiang) onboard whilst livestreaming the descent to a reported depth of 10,909 m (35,791 ft).[10][11]
In comparison to the earlier Deep Sea Warrior bathyscaphe that was 95% domestically built, Striver is 96.5% domestic,[5][7][clarification needed] but can dive more than twice as deep. A significant portion of the onboard equipment has to be allocated to support the dive.[clarification needed] In comparison to the ten-hour endurance of Deep Sea Warrior, Striver lasts for six hours.[2][3] Striver can dive and surface much faster,[4]and its crew compartment is built of titanium alloy Ti62A, specially developed for use on Striver,[8] and a new welding method.[clarification needed][4][5][7][8] It is equipped with cameras made by the Norwegian manufacturer Imenco.[12] The designer is Ye Cong.[4][7]The mechanical arms of Striver were developed by Shenyang Institute of Automation, and each is capable of handling 60 kg of weight.[9] The motherships of the Striver bathyscaphe are the same ones used for Deep Sea Warrior bathyscaphe: Chinese research vessel Explorer 1 (Tan-Suo 1, or 探索一号 in Chinese) and Explorer 2.[2][4][5][6][7][9]
Specifications are:[2][3][4][5][6]
