Context: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-65953872
The above titanic submersible that went missing can only send short text messages from the ship to the submersible. From my understanding there is no GPS underwater and radio communication is impossible. How can Navy submarines communicate and navigate while submerged in the ocean but the missing submersible can’t?
In: 121
Submerged navy submarines communicate using VLF radio waves because they can penetrate seawater to some extent. VLF radio waves only work with giant antennas. Navy submarines carry extremely long wire antennas (hundreds of meters) that trail behind the submarine to pick up signals from massive military land-based antennas. Small commercial submersibles do not have these antennas. They don’t even have enough space to carry these antennas. Also, communication via VLF is only one-way (land to sub) so the submarine still has to surface to periscope depth or float an antenna buoy attached to a cable to transmit anything back.
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