DEEP’s pilot subsea human habitat system

DEEP® is on a mission to make humans aquatic in order to enable researchers and scientists to learn more about the ocean by living, working, and exploring undersea at up to 200 metres for up to 28 days at a time. Sentinel®, our subsea human habitat system, is scheduled to be in the water by the end of 2027.

One year on from sharing our ambitions with the world, we’re announcing our first pilot habitat, under the project name Vanguard, which will be launched in early 2025.

Vanguard is the precursor to the larger Sentinel system. It’s a three-person crew, expedition class habitat, designed primarily for shorter-term missions such as training, reconnaissance, and recovery.

Vanguard is the first underwater human habitat we’re building and testing at our Campus facility near Bristol. It will be integral for testing and taking learnings that can be applied to building Sentinel.

Kristen Tertoole, CEO of DEEP, explains: “Vanguard will give us vital operational and build experience that can be applied to Sentinel. It’s one of the crucial steps in the progress curve towards having a permanent human presence under the ocean, which is hugely exciting for underwater exploration and technology.”

Timmy Gambin, Professor of Maritime Archaeology at the University of Malta, says: “A small transportable habitat for divers to operate safely from, providing extended dive times on sites with limited accessibility, will significantly accelerate the evolution of underwater archaeology.”

Ed O’Brien, Dive Operations Manager at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, adds: “DEEP’s three-person habitat is a paradigm shift for scientific diving operations. The safety, efficiency and connexional ocean/human experience is profound. Scientists will flourish in their discipline in this immersive environment. The future is moving into the now with DEEP’s subsea efforts.”