3 ms·

Just read that too. That's not much of a safety factor! Still, it's quite a feat and I hope it continues smoothly.

• JshWright 15y ago
  It's quite likely that the 16,500PSI rating is accounting for the safety factor.
  • evoxed 15y ago
    You're probably right– at least, I hope you're right. Looks like everything went as expected though, so congratulations to everyone who worked on it. Still waiting to see what they collect...
  • snarf 15y ago
    16,500 PSI was just what it was tested at, and it could apparently withstand significantly greater pressure than that. From the Deep Sea Challenge website: "The hull, complete with its hatch and viewport, was tested twice in a pressure chamber at Pennsylvania State University to an equivalent full-ocean-depth pressure of 16,500 pounds per square inch (1,138 bars). It passed both tests. Twenty-two strain gauges attached to the sphere gave data that indicated the sphere could withstand up to 140 percent of the test pressure without buckling."