James Cameron becomes first solo explorer to reach the deepest point on Earth

http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/james-cameron-begins-solo-dive-to-the-bottom-of-the-ocean/2012/03/25/gIQAPDwOaS_story.html?tid=pm_pop


Filmmaker and ocean enthusiast James Cameron became the first solo explorer to reach the deepest point of the ocean — almost seven miles down — when his custom-built one-man submarine touched down in the western Pacific Ocean’s Mariana Trench at 7:52 a.m. local time (5:52 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time), according to a statement from the National Geographic Society, which is sponsoring the filmmaking and scientific expedition.

(Brook Rushton) - Explorer and filmmaker James Cameron inside the pressure sphere simulator at Acheron Project offices in Sydney, Australia. This is the sphere where Cameron sat on his descent to the bottom of the Mariana Trench.

(Mark Thiessen/National Geographic) - The Deepsea Challenger submersible begins its first 2.5-mile test dive off the coast of Papua New Guinea. The sub is the centerpiece of Deepsea Challenge, a joint scientific project by explorer and filmmaker James Cameron, the National Geographic Society and Rolex to conduct deep-ocean research.

The Academy Award winner radioed, “All systems OK,” after hitting bottom at a depth of 35,756 feet, the statement read