FNRS-3

bathyscaphe

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June 26, 2026

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The FNRS-3 was a bathyscaphe, a type of submersible vessel designed for deep-sea exploration. Developed by Auguste Piccard and later his son Jacques, the FNRS-3 was a significantly improved version of the earlier FNRS 2. It successfully conducted dives, reaching depths of 4,000 meters (13,000 feet) off the coast of Senegal in 1954.1

A bathyscaphe operates using a combination of a heavy, pressure-resistant cabin for observers and a lighter float filled with gasoline for buoyancy. Ballast tanks control descent and ascent. The FNRS-3 was a precursor to other notable bathyscaphes, like the Trieste, which achieved a record depth in the Mariana Trench.1

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bathyscaphe
…improved, the vessel was renamed FNRS 3 and carried out a series of descents under excellent conditions, including one of 4,000 metres (13,000 feet) into the Atlantic off Dakar, Senegal, on February 15, 1954. A second improved bathyscaphe, the Trieste, was launched on August 1, 1953, and dived to 3,150…
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…improved, the vessel was renamed FNRS 3 and carried out a series of descents under excellent conditions, including one of 4,000 metres (13,000 feet) into the Atlantic off Dakar, Senegal, on February 15, 1954. A second improved bathyscaphe, the Trieste, was launched on August 1, 1953, and dived to 3,150…
Read More