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PX-15
The PX-15 submersible, conceived by Dr. Jacques Piccard, is being developed
jointly by Dr. Piccard and Grumman's Ocean Systems Department. The craft will
enable oceanographers to make prolonged, underwater studies. Modifications
made by the Ocean System Department to the PX-15's design have resulted in
the GSV-1. This craft will be capable of performing week-long diver operations,
supported by a heavy-duty manipulator and corer.
Dr. Piccard is best known for his achievement, with Lt. Donald Walsh of the U.S.
Navy, in descending to the deepest known point on the ocean floor. Their
descent, on Jan. 23, 1960, in the bathyscaphe Trieste, took them almost seven
miles to the bottom of the Challenger, deep in the Marianas Trench of the
Pacific Ocean. The Trieste was designed by Dr. Piccard and his father, the late
Prof. Auguste Piccard.
Grumman's commitment to the field of ocean engineering is exemplified by the
recently concluded five-year agreement between the Company and Dr. Piccard.
Under its terms, Grumman has obtained the exclusive rights to Dr. Piccard's
services as a consultant, designer, and representative in the design, manufacture,
and operation of submersibles, and in future undersea studies.
GULF STREAM DRIFT
The PX-15 will carry Dr. Jacques Piccard and a four-man crew on a four- to
six-week, 1500-mile journey from Florida to Nova Scotia. Drifting with the Gulf
Stream at depths of 300 to 1200 feet, the PX-15 will enable its occupants to
conduct experiements, study oceanographic phenomena, and observe marine life.
Grum
rumma
