Jiaolong

The Jiaolong manned submersible.

The Jiaolong (蛟龙), named after a mythical sea dragon, is the world's first manned submersible designed to reach the depth of 7,000 meters below sea level. The Ministry of Science and Technology started the research and developing of the project in 2002, aiming to promote China's deep-sea exploration and transportation technology.

Between May 31 and July 18, 2010, the Jiaolong completed 17 dives in the South China Sea, reaching 3,759 meters during its deepest dive. It marks that China has become the fifth country in the world to send a man 3,500 meters below sea level, following the United States, France, Russia and Japan.

Between July and August 2011, the Jiaolong conducted four dives in the Pacific Ocean, reaching 5,188 meters during its deepest dive.

On June 15, 2012, the Jiaolong successfully reached nearly 6,700 meters in the Mariana Trench in the western Pacific, the deepest in China's manned deep sea diving history. The dive was the first in a series of six scheduled dives in the area. It is aimed at checking the vessel's functions and performance, following technical improvements over the past year.

The Jiaolong canceled its second dive mission into the Mariana Trench originally scheduled for June 18, 2012 due to an overhaul of the hydraulic system. If the weather and sea conditions permit, the Jiaolong will try the second dive on June 19, according to the on-scene headquarters.