Collection Online

Result

Bathyscaph “Trieste”, I/CH 1953 (scale model 1:25)Auguste Piccard explored the stratosphere and set an altitude record of 15,781 metres with his gas balloon in 1931. With the submarine “Trieste” designed by him, his son Jacques and Don Walsh reached the record depth of 10,916 m beneath the surface of the sea in 1960. The bathyscaph is essentially a type of underwater balloon: the large float chamber was filled with petrol because it is lighter than water. The pilots were located in the pressure sphere below the float chamber. At the deepest point, the surface of the sphere was subjected to a pressure in excess of 170,000 tonnes.Shortly before the “Trieste’s” legendary dive into the Marianas Trench, the Americans demanded that the research project be restricted to their own nationals and only flew the American flag. However, because of a written agreement and on account of his great experience, Jacques Piccard remained the captain in charge. He placed his Swiss flag well below the pilots’ seats, thereby ensuring that our national emblem had the honour of being even deeper on the sea bed than the two pilots.Auguste Piccard designed pressure-resistant gondolas for his balloon flights, thereby creating the basis for the pressurised cabins of modern aircraft. Whereas in the low air pressure of the stratosphere, the gondola is in danger of exploding, under water the diving gondola is subjected to ever greater pressure. In the event of a wrong calculation, the gondola would suddenly implode under water. At a depth of 11,000 metres below sea level, the force exerted is 1,100 kp per square cm. That is equivalent to around the weight of 144 people.Jacques Piccard and Don Walsh were amazed to discover that life existed even at the deepest point in the world’s oceans. It thus became clear that the intended disposal of nuclear waste at the bottom of the sea did not represent a solution.
  • Navigation

  • Bathyscaph “Trieste”, I/CH 1953 (scale model 1:25)
    Auguste Piccard explored the stratosphere ...

Legend
General information
Technical details
  • Bathyscaph “Trieste”, I/CH 1953 (scale model 1:25)

    Auguste Piccard explored the stratosphere and set an altitude record of 15,781 metres with his gas balloon in 1931. With the submarine “Trieste” designed by him, his son Jacques and Don Walsh reached the record depth of 10,916 m beneath the surface of the sea in 1960. The bathyscaph is essentially a type of underwater balloon: the large float chamber was filled with petrol because it is lighter than water. The pilots were located in the pressure sphere below the float chamber. At the deepest point, the surface of the sphere was subjected to a pressure in excess of 170,000 tonnes.
    Shortly before the “Trieste’s” legendary dive into the Marianas Trench, the Americans demanded that the research project be restricted to their own nationals and only flew the American flag. However, because of a written agreement and on account of his great experience, Jacques Piccard remained the captain in charge. He placed his Swiss flag well below the pilots’ seats, thereby ensuring that our national emblem had the honour of being even deeper on the sea bed than the two pilots.
    Auguste Piccard designed pressure-resistant gondolas for his balloon flights, thereby creating the basis for the pressurised cabins of modern aircraft. Whereas in the low air pressure of the stratosphere, the gondola is in danger of exploding, under water the diving gondola is subjected to ever greater pressure. In the event of a wrong calculation, the gondola would suddenly implode under water. At a depth of 11,000 metres below sea level, the force exerted is 1,100 kp per square cm. That is equivalent to around the weight of 144 people.
    Jacques Piccard and Don Walsh were amazed to discover that life existed even at the deepest point in the world’s oceans. It thus became clear that the intended disposal of nuclear waste at the bottom of the sea did not represent a solution.
  • Inventory No.VHS-3058
  • Original/modelModell (1:25)
  • Object typeObject (three-dimensional)
  • Manufacturer/operatorKüchler Simon, Model maker, archivalisch belegt
    Piccard Auguste (1884 - 1962), Model manufacturer, archivalisch belegt
    Piccard Jacques (1922 - 2008), Kapitän oder Steuermann, archivalisch belegt
    Walsh Don (1922 - 2008), Kapitän oder Steuermann, archivalisch belegt
    Fried. Krupp AG (Frd. Krupp AG, Friedrich Krupp AG) (*1811), Model manufacturer, archivalisch belegt
  • GeographyTerritory: Tyrrhenisches Meer (Ponza, Italien), Marianengraben (Pazifischer Ozean)
  • Dating1958
  • Object weightL x B x H 71 x 14 x 42 cm