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Steve Fossett's secret project: "Deep Space Challenger" (with video link)

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posted on Oct, 4 2008 @ 02:55 AM
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One of the tragedies of what now seems like the certain death of Steve Fossett, is this unfinished "secret project" for a deep sea submersible of extraordinary design.


RICHMOND, CA (KGO) -- Millionaire Steve Fossett left behind a secret vessel that was being built right here in the Bay Area. He funded a deep sea submersible -- which, its builders say, was capable of "flying" to the bottom of the ocean.

"We were his big secret project this was to make a record dive to bottom of the planet," says Graham Hawkes, from Hawkes Ocean Technologies.

The Deep Space Challenger looks like a plane, but is actually a winged submersible - capable of diving to the lowest spot on Earth, The Mariana Trench. It is 37,000 feet below the surface and until now, the ship has been kept under wraps in a Richmond warehouse.

abc (2 videos)

A more technical article is available at
deepflight.com




[edit on 10/4/2008 by schrodingers dog]



posted on Oct, 4 2008 @ 12:54 PM
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More from CNET:


"These kinds of craft, we see as being necessary to be the cutting edge of that exploratory effort," Hawkes said, "so we see markets in 26 countries that are already gearing up for ocean exploration. It's not the kind of marine science where you're looking at protecting marine species, but you're looking at...expanding your national territory."

Among the resources that various national and private interests think they could find in these deep ocean places are new kinds of minerals as well as food sources.

Not being able to complete the Fossett mission, of course, has been a blow to Hawkes and his company's plans, and while it must certainly be frustrating to see the Deep Flight Challenger sitting prone behind locked doors, Hawkes said it isn't in any way up to him to determine what happens to the vessel now.

CNET.



posted on Oct, 5 2008 @ 10:54 AM
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I'm sure the U.S. Navy had a more than passive interest in this craft's future...every Navy in the world would have been watching with keen curiosity and perhaps some envy when Fossett began his tests.

It is kind of interesting that his tests of this new undersea craft were scheduled to begin within a month of his disappearance. And now, project tests on hold, future of the craft uncertain.

The technology of a craft that is part plane, part sub, part space shuttle being able to "fly" to the bottom of the sea and "rocket" back up again is a Navy's dream come true.

Because, as the news coverage points out, map lines and national territory lines have been redrawn, sparking a new space race, if you will, between nations to claim soveriegn territory under the sea.

Very few nations even have such submersibles (nothing like this new dreamboat, though) - France, Japan, Russia (has two) and the U.S. has only one deep sea submersible, the oldest such craft in the world. (Remember Alvin, the little guy who helped us find the Titanic?)

There's something so Jules Verne about this whole story! Fascinating.



posted on Oct, 5 2008 @ 12:20 PM
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Originally posted by Anonymous ATS
I'm sure the U.S. Navy had a more than passive interest in this craft's future...every Navy in the world would have been watching with keen curiosity and perhaps some envy when Fossett began his tests.

cont....

The technology of a craft that is part plane, part sub, part space shuttle being able to "fly" to the bottom of the sea and "rocket" back up again is a Navy's dream come true.


You know, I hadn't thought about it in this context. The conspiracy angle is too grim to contemplate.



posted on Oct, 15 2008 @ 08:38 AM
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Well, start contemplating because it seems the project is alive!

SF Gate article

According to Hawkes, there are five submarines in the world built for deep-water use, that is, for diving below 5,000 feet. But they are huge (more than 50,000 pounds) compared to the Challenger (under 10,000 pounds), he said. They also cost so much to build, about $100 million, that only governments can afford them (likely for military use). His winged sub is built in what he calls a "skunkworks," a 1,500-square-foot facility, and the cost is under $10 million.

"The sub weighs one-tenth the weight of the other deep submersibles and has ten times the range," Hawkes said. "That means we can transport it any way we want around the world."



posted on Dec, 17 2008 @ 06:30 PM
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Heck, I was thinking bigger and wilder..

Like, aliens who live down there on the bottom of the sea, perhaps in the trench, or have entrances to an under-surface dwelling or system of caves etc that they have set up base in. There are alot of sightings of USO's, and UFO's shooting down into the water, shooting up out of the water, and hovering mere feet from the water, "sucking up" the water.

Clearly there is a water role here. Because water is so plentiful, we are 80+% water ourselves, and we don't look like it. But what im thinking is, maybe on other planets, life is more common UNDERWATER .. and to travel the cosmos, maybe they need craft filled with a type of water, to live in? They could be ...

We need our oxygen and pressurized suits to mimick OUR atmospheric conditions so that we humans can function in the space shuttle, during spacewalks, etc. It seems logical!

So the aliens offed him over Nevada so they'd never get found out? :-x



posted on Dec, 17 2008 @ 06:39 PM
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Maybe its something they can use to explore the ocean moon of Jupiter.....

Europa.



Cheers!!!!




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