On November 17, China's first domestically designed and built deep-ocean drilling vessel—Mengxiang, or Dream—was commissioned in Guangzhou, marking a significant breakthrough in the nation's deep-sea exploration technology.
The "Dream" vessel measures 179.8 meters in length and 32.8 meters in width, with a gross tonnage of 33,000 tons and a displacement of 42,600 tons. It boasts a range of 15,000 nautical miles, a self-sustainability of 120 days, and a capacity to accommodate 180 people. Capable of navigating in any sea area worldwide except the Polar Regions, it can handle operations under very rough conditions (Sea State 6) and withstand super typhoons, meeting the requirements for bridge passage and wharf docking in major sea areas.
A world-leading drilling and sampling system equips the vessel for a variety of operations, including deep-ocean coring and resource exploration. This advanced system also substantially improves overall drilling efficiency and hard-rock drilling capabilities, with a maximum drilling depth of 11,000 meters. It is expected to aid global scientists in achieving their ambitious goal of "penetrating the Earth's crust and reaching its deep interior."
Dubbed a "mobile national laboratory" at sea, the vessel features nine labs specializing in basic geology, paleomagnetism, and other areas, satisfying the research demands of all disciplines within the marine sector. Additionally, it is equipped with a "smart brain," enabling real-time data analysis from over 20,000 monitoring sites. This facilitates intelligent monitoring, collaborative experiments, health management, and seamless integration between ship and shore systems.
Planning | Cao Si, He Yongrong
Coordination | Zhangzhe, Liuzikui, Li Hengdan
Text | Nanfang Plus reporter | Huang Xuhao
Poster copywriting | Fu Qianying
Hand-drawing | Liao Chunyan
Animation | Chen Mingji, Deng Yingheng
Editor | Yu Lulu, Wei Shen, Jiang Chang, James, Shen He
