Steve Fossett's Unfinished Project

MazzThePianoman writes "Steve Fossett left behind a secret vessel project called the Deep Flight Challenger. Fossett was funding the development of a winged submersible being designed by Hawkes Ocean Technologies in California. The intent was for the vehicle to be capable of travel to the very bottom of the ocean — the Mariana Trench, more than 11,000 meters beneath the surface. 'It would have dramatically, dramatically opened the oceans for exploration. It would have been a game changer,' said Graham Hawkes, the designer. Testing had been completed at Department of Defense facilities. Field testing was only four weeks away when Fossett's untimely death, a year ago, put the project on hold." Hawkes Ocean Technologies owns the design, but the vehicle itself is owned by Fossett's estate.

Comments

Re:And the story continues!

[TheModelEskimo]

Dude, if anybody mods me interesting, ALL the blame is going in your lap.

Eulogy for Deep Space "Challenger"

[sssmashy]

Oh, I have slipped the surly bonds of land, And danced the seas on laughter-silvered fins;

Deepward I've fallen, and joined the tumbling mirth

Of sun-absent fathoms...and done a hundred things

You have not dreamed of...propelled and plummet and swung

Deep in the sunless silence. Hov'ring there, I've chased the shouting currents along, and flung

My eager craft through footless halls of water.

Down, Down, the long, delirious burning blue I've bottomed the current swept depths with easy grace

Where never jellyfish, nor even tubeworm grew.

And while with silent, buoyant mind I've trod

The low untrespassed sanctity of the abyss...

...put out my hand, and touched the face of God.

How about Jupiter

[linzeal]

Come on fellow Mechanical Engineers, what do we need to see the core of Jupiter? Lets design it and open source it, because it will likely not be seen in our lifetimes.