The new sphere will have five, rather than, three viewports; three will be 7, rather than 5, inches in diameter. To withstand pressures at greater depths, the sphere will be 3, rather than 2, inches thick, with an interior diameter that is 4.6 inches wider than Alvin’s current sphere. That increases the interior volume by 18 percent, from 144 to 171 cubic feet. (Illustration by E. Paul Oberlander, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution)[back]
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