China is developing its first deep-sea tourist submersible capable of reaching depths of 1,000 metres, with a target launch by 2030. The project, led by the China Ship Scientific Research Centre in Wuxi, Jiangsu, has been in development for nearly four years, and a prototype is expected by the end of this year.
The submersible will carry three passengers and one crew member per trip. Ye Cong, director of the research centre, told China Daily: 'People will be able to travel to a depth of about 1,000 metres in the submersible.' He added that engineers have finalised the structural design and will conduct sea trials once the prototype is ready.
One of the most challenging features is the panoramic viewport. China already operates dozens of tourism submersibles, but these are limited to depths of around 20 metres in reservoirs, lakes and coastal waters.
Deep-sea tourism remains a niche sector dominated by Western private ventures. The industry faced scrutiny after the Titan submersible imploded in June 2023 at a depth of nearly 4,000 metres, killing all five on board. An investigation attributed the disaster to poor engineering and inadequate testing.
India is also advancing its deep-sea ambitions with the Matsya-6000, a submersible capable of reaching 6,000 metres. Meanwhile, private firms like EYOS Expeditions offer dives to 300–1,000 metres using submersibles built by Triton Submarines.
