Chinese scientific research vessel Exploration-2, or Tansuo-2, has completed its trial deployment of a deep-sea in-situ scientific experiment station and returned to the coastal city of Sanya in south China's Hainan Province on Tuesday, carrying the deep-sea manned submersible "Deep Sea Warrior."

The mission was mainly designed to test the underwater performance of equipment developed for the Chinese Academy of Sciences' (CAS) pilot deep-sea scientific research program and core technologies of other national key research and development projects.

Various types of equipment including a submarine base station, an in-situ laboratory and a glider were involved in the test.

Based on domestic technology jointly developed by the CAS Institute of Deep Sea Science and Engineering (IDSSE) and the Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology, the test has for the first time achieved the integration of megawatt-hour (1000kWh) -level solid-state lithium-metal batteries and its application at a water depth of over 1,000 meters to verify the reliability of the system.

The mission also included the underwater joint operation of the base station, the in-situ laboratory and the "Deep Sea Warrior."

Chen Jun, an associate researcher at the IDSSE, said with the large power capacity of the base station, the sea trial also verified the base station's submarine navigation capability and its autonomous movement function, which enables precise deployment of the base station on the seabed and operations at multiple sites. 

The base station can support the connection of platforms such as the in-situ laboratory and supply power to them, he noted. 

(Cover: Chinese scientific research vessel Exploration-2, or Tansuo-2, returned to its port, Sanya City, south China's Hainan Province, June 28, 2020. /CFP)