DSV Alvin Alvin ( DSV - 2 ) is a manned deep - ocean research submersible owned by the United States Navy and operated by the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution ( WHOI ) in Woods Hole , Massachusetts . The vehicle was built by General Mills ' Electronics Group in Minneapolis , Minnesota . Named to honor the prime mover and creative inspiration for the vehicle , Allyn Vine , " Alvin " was commissioned on 5 June 1964 . The submersible is launched from the deep submergence support vessel , which is also owned by the U . S . Navy and operated by WHOI . The submersible has made over 4 , 400 dives , carrying two scientists and a pilot , to observe the lifeforms that must cope with super - pressures and move about in total darkness , as well as exploring the wreck of " Titanic " . Research conducted by " Alvin " has been featured in nearly 2 , 000 scientific papers . Design . " Alvin " was designed as a replacement for bathyscaphe s and other less maneuverable oceanographic vehicles . Its more nimble design was made possible in part by the development of syntactic foam , which is buoyant and yet strong enough to serve as a structural material at great depths . The vessel weighs 17 tons . It allows for two scientists and one pilot to dive for up to nine hours at . The submersible features two robotic arms and can be fitted with mission - specific sampling and experimental gear . The plug hatch of the vessel is in diameter and somewhat thicker than the thick titanium sphere pressure hull ; it is held in place by the pressure of the water above it . As explained during its search of " Titanic " , in an emergency if " Alvin " is stuck underwater with occupants inside , the outer body of " Alvin " is able to come apart and the titanium sphere would then rise to the surface uncontrolled . It is unknown , however , if a human could survive the rapid trip to the surface . History . Early career . " Alvin " , first of its ship class of Deep Submergence Vehicle ( DSV ) , was built to dive to . Each of the " Alvin - class " DSVs have different depth capabilities . However " Alvin " is the only one seconded to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration ( NOAA ) , with the others staying with the United States Navy . " Alvin " s first deep sea tests took place off Andros Island , the Bahamas , where it made a successful 12 - hour , unmanned tethered test dive . " Alvin " now had two pilots , Rainnie and Marvin McCamis , and on 20 July 1965 they made their first dive for the Navy to obtain certification . " On 17 March 1966 , " Alvin " was used to locate a submerged 1 . 45 - megaton hydrogen bomb lost in a United States Air Force midair accident over Palomares , Spain . The bomb , found resting nearly deep , was raised intact on 7 April . On 6 July 1967 , the " Alvin " was attacked by a swordfish during dive 202 . The swordfish became trapped in the " Alvin " s skin , and the " Alvin " was forced to make an emergency surface . The attack took place at below the surface . The fish was recovered at the surface and cooked for dinner . Sinking . " Alvin " , aboard the Navy tender ship " Lulu " , was lost as it was being transported in October 1968 . " Lulu " , a vessel created from a pair of decommissioned U . S . Navy pontoon boats with a support structure added on , was lowering " Alvin " over the side when two steel cables snapped , while " Alvin " had three crew members aboard and the hatch open . Situated between the pontoons with no deck underneath , " Alvin " hit the water and rapidly started to sink . The three crew members managed to escape , but " Alvin " flooded and sank in of water . Severe weather prevented the recovery of " Alvin " throughout late 1968 , but it was photographed on the bottom in June 1969 by a sled towed by USS " Mizar " . " Alvin " was found to be upright and appeared intact except for damage to the stern . It was decided to attempt recovery ; although no object of " Alvin " s size had ever been recovered from a depth of , recovery was " deemed to be within the state of the art " . In August 1969 , the " Aluminaut " , another DSV built by Reynolds Metals Aluminum Company , descended to " Alvin " but had trouble attaching the required lines , and side effects from Hurricane Camille were producing worsening weather , causing the team to return to Woods Hole to regroup . The second attempt started on 27 August , and " Aluminaut " was able to secure a line and safety slings on " Alvin " , and wrapped a prefabricated nylon net around its hull , allowing it to be hauled up by " Mizar " . " Alvin " was towed , submerged at , at a speed of , back to Woods Hole . " Alvin " was so intact that lunches left on board were soggy but edible . This incident led to a more comprehensive understanding that near - freezing temperatures and the lack of decaying bacteria or fungi at increased depths prevented biological decay . Researchers found a sandwich which exhibited no visible signs of decomposition . This event led researchers to examine decay at extreme environments ( Smith et al . 1998 ) . The " Alvin " required a major overhaul after the incident . Post - sinking career . In 1973 , " Alvin " s pressure hull was replaced by a newer titanium pressure hull . The new hull extended the submersible ' s depth rating . Black smokers . In 1977 , during an expedition led by Robert Ballard and sponsored by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration ( NOAA ) , " Alvin " discovered and documented the existence of black smoker s around the Galapagos Islands . Existing at a depth of more than , black smokers emit a strong flow of black , smoky water , superheated to over . " Alvin " was able to sample the water from a black smoker . " Alvin " discovered that the pH was roughly 2 . 8 ( strongly acidic ) . Exploration of RMS " Titanic " . Most famously , " Alvin " was involved in the exploration of the wreckage of in 1986 . Launched from her support ship , she carried Dr . Robert Ballard and two companions to the wreckage of the great liner . " Titanic " sank in 1912 after striking an iceberg while crossing the North Atlantic Ocean on her maiden voyage . " Alvin " , accompanied by a small remotely operated vehicle ( ROV ) named " Jason Jr . " , was able to conduct detailed photographic surveys and inspections of " Titanic " s wreckage . Many of the photographs of the expedition have been published in the magazine of the National Geographic Society which was a major sponsor of the expedition . The Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute team involved in the " Titanic " expedition also managed to locate the wreck of the , a armed with nuclear torpedoes , which sank off the coast of the Azores in 1968 . " Alvin " was able to obtain photographic and other environmental monitoring data from the remains of " Scorpion " . Recent overhauls . Over the years , " Alvin " has undergone many overhauls to improve its equipment and extend its lifetime . In 2001 , among other equipment , motor controllers and computer systems were added . The current " Alvin " is the same as the original vessel in name and general design only . All components of the vessel including the frame and personnel sphere have been replaced at least once . " Alvin " is completely disassembled every three to five years for a complete inspection . A new robotic arm was added in 2006 . Current work . In June 2008 construction started on a stronger and slightly larger personnel sphere which may be used to upgrade " Alvin " ( for use from 2011 ) , before being used in an entirely new vehicle . The new sphere , forged out of 15 . 5 tonnes of titanium , has five view ports ( instead of the current three ) and is designed for depths of over , where " Alvin " s constructed depth limit was . This , along with a general upgrade of support systems , instruments and materials , will allow " Alvin " to reach 98 % of the ocean floor . After one last dive to assess damage to the Gulf of Mexico ' s seafloor after the Deepwater Horizon disaster , " Alvin " will be refitted starting January 2011 , with an expected return to the ocean in 2012 and full depth potential achieved in 2015 . A possible replacement . On 6 August 2004 , the National Science Foundation announced the creation of a new Human Occupied Vehicle ( HOV ) to replace the aging " Alvin " . The new vehicle is being designed to dive deeper , up to as opposed to " Alvin " s and use new scientific equipment . The personnel sphere will be larger and it is expected that the battery capacity will be greatly increased enabling longer bottom times . The new deep sea submarine is in the preliminary manufacturing phases and is expected to be completed as early as the end of 2011 . Some components of the current " Alvin " are anticipated to be used in the new " Alvin " replacement vehicle . Due to export laws , the vehicle cannot be sold to parties outside of the United States . The fate of " Alvin " when this new submersible arrives is unknown , but due to the limited market for sale and stripping of components for use on the new vehicle , it will likely be placed in a museum . Contrary to a BBC article published in October 2004 , the " Alvin " has not yet been retired from service . Operation . " Alvin " uses four steel weights ( ~ 1 . 7 cubic feet of steel ) to provide negative buoyancy for the trip to the ocean floor . " Alvin " contains a ballast and trim system , but the steel weights allow deep dives to be achieved more rapidly . These weights are jettisoned on each dive and left at the bottom .