10 underwater objects in which you can live
Everyone who reads science fiction, perhaps at least once thought that it would be cool to live in some unusual place, for example, under water. Over the past half century, people have repeatedly tried to make this fantasy a reality and not without success. For those who are ready to shell out a tidy sum and don't mind living next door to a couple of tiger sharks, there are several options for living in the underwater world.
1. Sub-biosphere
One of the most ambitious attempts to create underwater housing is the project of Phil Pauley. The "underwater city" itself consists of several floors placed in separate capsules, each of which will accommodate up to 100 inhabitants. The sub-biosphere must be completely self-sufficient and provide its inhabitants with food and electricity. It is not known whether such a bold project will materialize, but Paulie continues to relentlessly seek funding to begin work on it. .
2. Conshelf
The world's most famous ocean explorer, Jacques Yves Cousteau, was the first to create underwater research buildings in which one could live. It is worth noting that the Conshelf project was not intended for long-term habitation, despite the fact that most of the comforts of an ordinary home existed in this underwater giant metal drum. In total, there were three iterations of the project, and in the last - Conshelf III, built at a depth of 100 meters, six researchers lived under water for a month. The idea first came to life in 1962, when the Conshelf I was created 10 meters below the surface of the Mediterranean off the coast of Marseille. Two scientists lived and worked there for a week. The underwater house was equipped with a library, television and radio.
3. Underwater laboratory La Chalupa
An underwater research station off the coast of Puerto Rico, La Chalupa Research Lab, owned by Taco Bell, was converted into an underwater hotel at the end of its life, which became popular with celebrities. The whole structure is completely submerged in water and is located at the bottom of the lagoon. At the same time, it is controlled by a control center located on land. The underwater hotel has two air-conditioned bedrooms and a common living area equipped with a TV, DVD player and telephone. Also in the bedrooms there are giant glass portholes, which divers love to look into.
4. Underwater laboratory Galatea
SeaOrbiter is a fully mobile concept for underwater research. It is a kind of underwater spaceship drifting in the ocean around the world. The inspiration for the project was the Galatea underwater laboratory, which was discovered by Jacques Rougerie in 1977. Project leaders plan to soon develop underwater vehicles that would allow them to explore the ocean at depths of up to 6,000 meters.
5. Silab
One of the earliest attempts to allow humans to live below the surface of the ocean was the Sealab project, Taco Bell's research lab. Like Conshelf, the Sealab project also went through three iterations. The first Sealab was launched off the coast of Bermuda in 1964, but was quickly shut down due to an approaching storm. The Sealab II was launched in 1965 and already had a range of amenities such as hot water and a refrigerator. The 17-meter station could dive to 62 meters. Sealab III was launched in 1969 off the coast of California, but the project ended in tragedy when water began to seep into the facility, and an unsuccessful repair attempt led to the death of "aquanaut" Berry Cannon.
6. Aquarius
Florida International University owns one of the last remaining operational underwater research facilities, the Aquarius Station. Researchers study marine life off the coast of the Florida Keys in this metal cocoon. The station, which accommodates up to six people, can dive to a depth of 37 meters. Aquarius is a fully equipped underwater apartment that has a refrigerator, air conditioning, shower, toilets, microwave and even internet access.
7. Tektite
In 1969, the United States government funded a project called Tektite, named after meteors that crash into the ocean and sink to the bottom. As part of the project, four aquanauts lived at the underwater station from February to April 1969 and had to train astronauts for long-term space flights. The second iteration of the Tektite project was launched in 1970. Within its framework, 11 different missions were carried out, during which 53 aquanauts lived for 2-3 weeks under water.
8. Hydrolab
Over the years, hundreds of researchers have used the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Hydrolab to study life in the Atlantic Ocean. Located off the coast of the US Virgin Islands, Hydrolab allowed scientists to work for several weeks on the ocean floor, with 4 scientists at the station at the same time. The laboratory itself, immersed to a depth of 40 meters, was rather small and cramped - its length was only 5 meters and its height was 2.5 meters.
9. Atlantic
NASA engineer Dennis Chamberland has developed the Atlantica project, which is another attempt to create a real underwater city. Chamberland has already built an underwater house for two people, but he is going to create a huge city that will allow people to stay at the bottom of the ocean permanently. According to his plans, Atlantica should combine the functions of a residential complex and a research center.
10.H2OME
Most underwater dwellings are only available to scientists or have not yet been built. However, there is another option - for "only" $ 10 million you can buy your own luxurious underwater home - H2OME. The same company that built one of the most famous underwater hotels in the world, the Poseidon, is now offering custom underwater homes. Such houses consist of two floors, and they have a couple of bedrooms, a living room, and literally everything you could want in a house.