The original personnel sphere of the Alvin submersible is shaped from a steel plate in 1964 at Lukens Steel Co., in Coatesville, Pennsylvania. The sphere was used until 1973, when engineers switched to the titanium sphere that is still in use today. Engineers, scientists, machinists, and metal workers are currently working on the next-generation sub for deep diving by humans.
(Photo courtesy of Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution Archives)
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