The Malaysian government has approved a new search for Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 with Ocean Infinity utilizing advanced technology in the southern Indian Ocean. The designated area for search is as large as metropolitan Sydney and has been determined through expert analysis. This operation aims to locate the wreckage and potentially retrieve the flight’s black boxes to aid in understanding the disappearance.
The search for the missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370, which disappeared over 11 years ago, is set to resume following the Malaysian government’s approval of a new search initiative. This renewed effort comes a decade after the aircraft tragically lost 239 lives during its ill-fated journey. Ocean Infinity, a seabed exploration firm, has returned to the southern Indian Ocean equipped with advanced technology to assist in the search for the aircraft’s debris.
Ocean Infinity has previously conducted searches, notably failing to locate the aircraft in 2018. However, the company has developed a new proposal that the Malaysian government accepted in principle last December. They have returned to the Indian Ocean, approximately 1,500 kilometers west of Perth, with an advanced suite of high-tech tools to aid their search efforts.
The designated search area for MH370 is approximately the size of metropolitan Sydney, having been determined through expert analysis of weather data, satellite signals, and debris locations that had previously washed ashore in the Indian Ocean and African coastal regions. This strategic identification aims to optimize the chances of locating the wreckage.
The search will utilize the newly constructed 78-meter offshore support vessel, the Armada 7806, designed by Norwegian shipbuilder Vard. This cutting-edge vessel is fitted with autonomous underwater vehicles from Kongsberg that can operate at depths of up to 6,000 meters, ensuring comprehensive exploration capabilities beneath the ocean’s surface.
Among the sophisticated sonar technologies employed, sidescan sonar generates high-resolution seabed images by emitting sound pulses, while synthetic aperture sonar combines data from multiple transmissions to create detailed visuals. Multibeam sonar efficiently maps underwater terrains, and sub-bottom profiling sonar aids in geological assessments by penetrating the seafloor.
Once sonar identifies a potential target, the underwater vehicles, equipped with cameras and lights, can operate closer to the seafloor to record imagery and confirm the targets of interest. These robotics advancements from Ocean Infinity significantly enhance simultaneous vehicle deployment, increasing the survey’s coverage efficiency.
Search operations may face challenging conditions both above and below the water’s surface, with unpredictable weather and complex seafloor terrains complicating efforts. It is anticipated that the operation could last for up to 18 months, with favorable weather expected between January and April. If successful, Ocean Infinity would receive a payment of US$70 million from the Malaysian government to assist in further investigations, including the retrieval of MH370’s black boxes to piece together events leading to the tragedy.
Conversely, if the search results in failure, Ocean Infinity will receive no compensation, and the investigation into the aircraft’s whereabouts will revert to its starting point, leading to further uncertainties in understanding this aviation mystery.
In summary, the renewed search for Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 marks a critical step in an ongoing investigation into the tragedy that claimed 239 lives. Utilizing advanced technology and techniques by Ocean Infinity, the effort aims to locate the wreckage within a determined search area while overcoming challenging conditions. The outcome of this search will significantly impact future investigative possibilities, including the retrieval of black boxes to further understand the circumstances surrounding the aircraft’s disappearance.
Original Source: www.hindustantimes.com
