FOCUS | China's first deep-ocean drilling vessel enters service

GUANGZHOU, Nov. 17 (Xinhua) -- The Meng Xiang, China's first domestically designed and built deep-ocean drilling vessel with a maximum drilling depth of 11 kilometers was officially commissioned in the southern Chinese metropolis of Guangzhou on Sunday, marking a significant stride to reach where humanity has never ventured before.

As China's largest scientific research vessel, the Meng Xiang measures 179.8 meters in length and 32.8 meters in width, with a displacement of 42,600 tonnes. It boasts a range of 15,000 nautical miles, a self-supportability for 120 days, and a capacity to accommodate 180 people.

"The deep-earth core samples it retrieves will provide global scientists with direct evidence to study plate tectonics, oceanic crust evolution, ancient marine climates, and the evolution of life," said Xu Zhenqiang, director of Guangzhou Marine Geological Survey under China Geological Survey. "It will aid humanity in better understanding, protecting, and utilizing the oceans."