posted 02-21-2021 11:53 AM               

The first British astronaut to venture to the deepest ocean depths humans have ever reached

British-born private astronaut Richard Garriott de Cayeux, aka Lord British, will be the first male astronaut who will have both orbited the Earth and been to the deepest place humans have ever reached.

Richard has already explored the North and South Poles, lived and worked in earth orbit aboard the International Space Station, and been on expeditions across all seven continents and deep submersible dives to targets such as Titanic, hydrothermal vents, and deep wrecks. But now, he will add the Challenger Deep of the Marianas Trench to the list.

At the end of February 2021 Richard is to dive greater than 10,000 meters under the Pacific in a Caladan Oceanic expedition in US company Triton's 36000/2 submersible, the Limiting Factor, named by its owner Victor Vescovo. Only three other submarines have made it to the bottom of Challenger Deep – about the same number of people as have walked on the moon.

Limiting Factor has been designed by Devon-based team John Ramsay and Tom Blades, who have also made submersibles for the BBC David Attenborough nature series Planet Earth 2.

The only vehicle ever constructed to be capable of multiple dives to full ocean depth, Limiting Factor has been pressure tested (in a test chamber) to 14,000 metres. Richard will be kept alive by the 90mm thick titanium sphere and experience no pressure changes.

Chief Scientist for the mission is Newcastle University marine biologist Dr. Alan Jamieson.

Science and the study of these rarely visited depths are the main focus of the expedition.

In addition to new detailed mapping, the science team will deploy landers to collect different biological samples and shoot valuable video footage. Over 40 new species have already been identified, with this number expected to rise significantly. The dives will assess and document environmental impact, including plastic pollution, at the oceans' deepest point. On the Limiting Factor's previous dives to Challenger Deep, both new species and discarded plastic were found. Richard will be inspiring British children about the wonders of the ocean through Venture to the Deep — with fun STEAM (science, technology, engineering art, and mathematic challenges).

Richard has a personal interest in extremophile life forms, having already made notable discoveries in samples returned from deep-sea hydrothermal vent sites he has visited, as well as other terrestrial thermal sites. Perhaps these depths shelter unique pressure-resistant microbes to be discovered on this expedition!

Richard is a lifetime member of the Explorers Club. Richard is a second-generation astronaut who visited the International Space Station in October 2008. His mission to the spacestation was notable for its education outreach programme designed in partnership with the UK Space Agency and Venture Thinking. On his 12 day mission to the International Space Station, Richard performed magic, tricks, directed the first film made in space, and secretly took Star Trek actor James Doohan's ashes on board.

Richard Garriott de Cayeux said: "Traveling to extreme environments, is of great scientific and inspirational value. As a child my parents instilled the passion for exploring and observing as a method of learning and understanding. As an adult, I find inspiration in exploring what often feels like alien environments, and am pleased that we have often been able to make important scientific contributions along the way."

Heather MacRae, Director of Venture Thinking said, "Richard is sharing his expedition with 1000s of children across the UK, encouraging them to bring their creativity and curiosity to new depths. On his journey up and down the water column Richard will be celebrating student work and answering their questions about the ocean."

Rob McCallum, Founding Partner of EYOS Expeditions, said,"This is the most exclusive destination on Earth. The expedition will use Caladan Oceanic's submersible Limiting Factor, which has been pressure tested (in a test chamber) to 14,000 metres. Inside of the sub is quiet, peaceful and very relaxing."

posted 02-26-2021 10:56 AM               

Q&A: Private astronaut Richard Garriott set to dive to lowest point on Earth

"I have been to space and I've been to both the North and South poles. So even though Kathy [Sullivan] beat me going space to deep, she has not been to both poles. So, I will be the first male to go space to deep, and the first person to go who has traversed Earth as well as the deep," Garriott said. "Not that you have to agree that any of that matters, which of course, fundamentally, it doesn't really, but it's kind of fun."

posted 03-01-2021 12:23 PM               

Back on the surface! Back from Challenger Deep in the Mariana Trench. Much to report, after a bite and crew debrief!

posted 03-03-2021 11:55 AM               

Astronaut-explorer Richard Garriott sets records on dive to deepest point on Earth (Q&A from sea)

Richard Garriott's views of Earth are now as deep as they are wide.

The son of a NASA astronaut and a video game pioneer who previously traversed both the North and South poles and funded his own trip to the International Space Station, Garriott completed a dive to Challenger Deep, the lowest point on Earth, on Monday (March 1).

"I am the first person to go pole to pole, space and deep and the second person — first male — to go space [to] deep," Garriott told collectSPACE in a call while still at sea on Tuesday.

posted 03-22-2021 04:19 PM            

Space and sea explorer Richard Garriott is the first person in the world to have explored the North Pole, the South Pole, flown to the International Space Station and descended to the deepest point on Earth - the Mariana Trench.

"It is literally the deepest place on Earth," Garriott, a video game developer, told Reuters on Thursday. "It is almost 11,000 meters of sea water deep - that is deeper than Mount Everest is high above sea level, by a couple thousand meters at least."

Garriott got back from the dive less than a week ago and said it took about four hours to descend 7 miles (11 km) to the deepest part of the Pacific Ocean. The trip, which was in a small vessel designed to withstand the enormous pressure at those depths, was to collect geological, water and sea creature samples for research.

posted 04-21-2021 02:25 PM               

Richard Garriott kindly (and excellently!) drew the logo on a styrofoam cup and took it with him to Challenger Deep. Packed in the submersible's unpressurized "trunk," the extreme water pressure compressed the air out of the cup's polystyrene beads, shrinking it to the size of a thimble!