Meet the deep sea version of the Starship Enterprise Captain
James T. Kirk may have called space as the final frontier, but
it’s actually the ocean that stands full of mystery. According
to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the
ocean covers 71 percent of the Earth’s surface, yet more than 95
percent of the underwater world remains unexplored. Just like
outer space, the world beneath the ocean presents a unique set
of challenges to our oxygen-dependent bodies. Just like it has
taken decades of technology to create the vessels that could
take us safely into space, and similar vehicles are necessary if
we are to be permitted to look upon the ocean’s most private
corners without suffocating or being crushed by the pressure.
The SeaOrbiter, a futuristic marine research vessel created by
French architect Jacques Rougerie could be the self-contained
ocean laboratory we’ve been searching for. Image via
SeaOrbiter/Jacques Rougerie Half submarine, half sailing ship,
the SeaOrbiter is designed to faci