Elon Musk and a team of SpaceX engineers built a mini submarine to try to help the youth soccer team and coach who were trapped in a Thai cave by rising waters. Eight of the boys have been rescued so far, and rescuers are now gearing up to get the final four boys and their coach out. They might use the submarine, which is built to accomodate a kid or small adult and features the liquid oxygen transfer tube of the Falcon 9 rocket as its hull, reports New Atlas. It weighs 88 pounds when dry, so is light enough to be carried across dry sections of the caves. According to Musk, it could make it through the cave’s so-called “choke point.”
According to divers who have made the journey, this is capable of maneuvering through all passages
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 8, 2018
The submarine was constructed in about eight hours and was tested in a Los Angeles pool with a person inside, including maneuvering through obstacles that replicate the cave’s narrowest passages.
Simulating maneuvering through a narrow passage pic.twitter.com/2z01Ut3vxJ
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 9, 2018
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 8, 2018
News Atlas reports that the submarine is being flown to Thailand, but it’s not clear if it will reach the site in time or is even necessary now that rescuers have developed a successful dive strategy for extricating the boys.
Continue to be amazed by the bravery, resilience & tenacity of kids & diving team in Thailand. Human character at its best.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 7, 2018
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