There Must Always Be A Cave Of Cool

SeaOrbiter to begin construction this October.

The SeaOrbiter is part submarine, part research vessel and has been in the planning stages for 12 years. Now construction of the US$43 million vessel is scheduled to begin in October, and could be on the seas by late 2013.

The vessel will be 58 metres high, with 50% of it underwater, allowing scientists constant access to underwater study.

Designed to drift with ocean currents, the vessel will generate the majority of its power for life-support systems and propulsion to avoid other ships and storms from renewable energy, including solar, wind and wave power, Fuchs says. A side project is underway in conjunction with EADS, the European defense and space systems conglomerate, to develop a biofuel as the ship’s main power source.