In a sleepy corner of Southampton, once the manufacturing hub of the legendary Spitfire, a state-of-the-art control centre with video game-like simulators is preparing for a major mission: solving the world's greatest aviation mystery - the missing flight MH370.
Ocean Infinity, the world's leading undersea technology company, is deploying a fleet of autonomous vessels and deep-diving robots from this command center to conduct a new search at the bottom of the Indian Ocean, where the Boeing 777 is believed to have crashed. This is the third time in 11 years that the search for MH370 has been restarted, with the hope of using cutting-edge technology to shed light on the incident.
Breakthrough technology in the search
According to The Times, Ocean Infinity will use unmanned ships and underwater robots operated remotely via satellite. These robots will scan the seabed using sonar - a technology that sends out sound pulses and receives echoes to build images.
Ocean Infinity’s Armada 78 ships, with a crew of just 16, will transport the robots to a search area of more than 15,500 square kilometers. This is a significant improvement over previous search vessels, which required 40-50 people to operate, resulting in significant cost savings.
Key figures in the hunt for MH370
Two British experts played a key role in the search for MH370.
Richard Godfrey, an aerospace engineer based in Germany, has developed technology that uses weak radio waves to track the final route of MH370. His data suggests the plane could be at 29.128 degrees south latitude, close to the new search area.
Simon Maskell - professor at the University of Liverpool - and Godfrey convinced the Malaysian government of the possibility of finding MH370 thanks to new evidence and technology.
In addition, Professor Charitha Pattiaratchi - a famous oceanographer - has accurately predicted where the MH370 debris drifted to. He believes that the plane's wreckage could be located in the Broken Ridge seamount area at the bottom of the Indian Ocean, more than 4,800 meters deep.
From the MH370 debris that has been found, researchers believe that this search has a higher chance of success thanks to advanced technology and data from previous searches.
Blaine Gibson, an American lawyer who found 22 pieces of MH370, expressed optimism: “We have new data, modern technology and experience from previous searches. The chances of finding MH370 are now higher than ever.”
Ocean Infinity is not only famous for the search for MH370 but also for other achievements.
In 2017, the company found the tanker Stellar Daisy, located more than 3,300 meters below the South Atlantic Ocean.
In 2020, Ocean Infinity discovered the iconic World War II battleship USS Nevada at a depth of nearly 15,000 feet. The company also found the cargo ship Grande America and rare Porsche 911 GT2 RS, which burned and sank in 2019.
The search for missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 is not only a technological journey but also a humanitarian effort to bring answers to the families of the 239 victims. From the Southampton hub, ships and robots will open a new door to hope and light in the deepest part of the ocean.
