Russia Arctic Expedition FDC

Russia FDC
Name: Arctic High-Latitude Deep Water Expedition
Issue date: 2007 December 7th

Designs:
8.00: Manned underwater bathyscaphe "MIR-1"
8.00: The North Pole

Arktika 2007 (Russian: Российская полярная экспедиция "Арктика-2007") was a 2007 expedition in which Russia performed the first ever crewed descent to the ocean bottom at the North Pole, as part of research related to the 2001 Russian territorial claim, one of many territorial claims in the Arctic, made possible, in part, because of Arctic shrinkage. As well as dropping a titanium tube containing the Russian flag, the submersibles collected specimens of Arctic flora and fauna and apparently recorded video of the dives.

Descents were carried out on August 2, 2007 in both MIR Deep Submergence Vehicles. The MIR-1's crew consisted of pilot Anatoly Sagalevich (head of the Oceanology Institute), the Russian polar explorer Arthur Chilingarov and businessman Vladimir Gruzdev. The MIR-2's crew comprised pilot Yevgeny Chernyaev of Russia, the Australian adventurer Mike McDowell, and Swede Frederik Paulsen Jr., head of Ferring Pharmaceuticals)

MIR-1 began its dive at 9:28 Moscow Time and at 12:08 reached the seabed 4,261 metres (14,061 feet) below the North Pole . MIR-2 began its dive at 9:47 and at 12:35 reached the seabed 4,302 metres (14,196 feet) down. At 12:35 the bathyscaphes were 500 metres (1,650 feet) apart and MIR-1 moved near MIR-2. At 13:46 both submersibles began to ascend, with MIR-1 surfacing at 18:08 and MIR-2 at 19:15. MIR-1 began its dive at 9:28 Moscow Time and at 12:08 reached the seabed 4,261 metres (14,061 feet) below the North Pole. MIR-2 began its dive at 9:47 and at 12:35 reached the seabed 4302 metres (14,196 feet) down. At 12:35 the bathyscaphes were 500 metres (1650 feet) apart and MIR-1 moved near MIR-2. At 13:46 both submersibles began to ascend, with MIR-1 surfacing at 18:08 and MIR-2 at 19:15.

On the seabed, 4,261 metres below the Polar ice, MIR-1 planted a one metre tall titanium Russian flag , made at Kaliningrad's "Fakel" 'design bureau.' It also left a time capsule , containing a message for future generations and a flag of the pro-President Vladimir Putin United Russia party. Soil and water samples of the seabed were taken during the mission. On the seabed, 4,261 metres below the Polar ice, MIR-1 planted a one metre tall titanium Russian flag, made at Kaliningrad 's "Fakel"' design bureau. ' It also left a time capsule, containing a message for future generations and a flag of the pro-President Vladimir Putin United Russia party Soil and water samples of the seabed were taken during the mission. More...