Science: Argo's Golden Feat

The sturdy submersible that photographed the Titanic has a legendary forebear: it was named for the ship sailed by the Greek hero Jason as he searched for the Golden Fleece. And roam the Argo does, skimming just above the ocean floor like a giant sled. Designed to map deep-sea hills and gulleys, the craft can descend to depths of 20,000 ft. and remain underwater indefinitely. Essentially, it is a 16-ft.-long cage fashioned to protect a clutch of strobe lights, side-scanning sonar devices and an array of cameras from marine flotsam. The entire contraption is tied umbilically to the mother ship by a thick steel cable. When sonar patterns signal an interesting feature, the video cameras can be commanded to zoom in on the object. The images they pick up are relayed instantaneously through the cable to computers and video screens in the ship above, providing scientists with an Argo's-eye view of the bottom of the sea.