This is the SeaOrbiter. It is a spaceship-like underwater vessel and will be the first ocean lab where researchers can live 24/7 over a prolonged period. Think of it as the Starship Enterprise, except for the sea.

The project will cost $43 million, and is the result of a 30 year research and design process. Created by architect Jacques Rougerie with experts like Jean-Michel Cousteau and former NASA chief Daniel Goldin chipping in, the vessel will be able to hold 22 people when it launches.

The SeaOrbiter will go to Monaco first, where Rougerie hopes researchers will gather details about the vast underwater areas surrounding the country.



The SeaOrbiter is a moving habitat and a dynamic launch point for submarine research and exploration. The structure is 190 feet, 90 of which will tower above the waterline. It will drift with currents and rely on renewable energy from the sun, waves and wind. It is the International Space Station of the sea.




The project is currently crowdfunding 325,000 euros so it can begin construction in France in the Spring of 2014. The first underwater expedition will begin in spring 2016.

Check out a video of it below: