MIR (submersible)
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MIR is a self-propelled submersible. The project was initially developed by the Soviet Academy of Sciences along with Design Bureau Lazurith. Later two vehicles were ordered from Finland. The MIR 1 and MIR 2, delivered in 1987, were designed and built by the Finnish company Rauma Repola.
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[edit] Characteristics
The vessels are designed to be used for scientific research and for submarine rescue operations. The carrier and command centre of MIR submersibles is the R/V Akademik Mstislav Keldysh. Currently MIRs are operated by the Russian Academy of Sciences.
The MIR submersibles can dive to a maximum depth of 6000 metres (19,680 feet). This makes them two of only five manned submersibles in the world that can dive beyond 3,000m (9,840 feet), two other reaching 6000 m are the Japanese submersible Shinkai and the French owned Nautile. Up to 98% of the world’s oceans are under 6 km deep.
The cockpit of MIR is a 5 cm thick sphere made from a combination of nickel and steel, with an inner diameter of 2,1 m. The total length of the vessel is 7.8 m and the weight 18.6 tons.
Originally the hydraulic manipulators were covered by a helmet-like retractable see-through visor, but these were removed in a major overhaul in 1994
[edit] Finnish-Soviet co-operation
Production of the two MIRs was a prime example of Finnish-Soviet economic and technical co-operation during the Cold War. The level of technology flowing into the Soviet Union raised concern in the U.S. and Rauma Repola was privately threatened with economic sanctions. The main concern for the U.S. was the possibility of Soviet Union to manufacture a pioneer submarine fleet that could clear the ocean floor of U.S. deep sea listening equipment. With the possibility of losing its lucrative off-shore oil platforms market Rauma Repola yielded, and submarine development ceased in Finland. One project that was abandonend was the development of a fuel cell based air-independent propulsion system.
The 122 meters long support vessel R/V Akademik Mstislav Keldysh was also built in Finland, at the Hollming shipyard in Rauma in 1981 (now Aker Finnyards).
[edit] Movie career
In the mid 1990s and early 2000s, MIR vehicles were used by American producer James Cameron to film the wreck of the RMS Titanic for his 1997 film Titanic and the wreck of the Bismarck for his 2002 documentary film Expedition: Bismarck.
