This is the same vehicle used to explore RMS Titanic.

Wow nice sub and they have replaced a lot of gear including the sphere.... are we sure its the same sub !!!

For that kind of money, I hope it's not the same sub. Wish they would let public vote on whether to blow 41 million bucks on a minisub.

JimD, the science this little sub does is well worth the money. Even tho I am Swedish and my tax money don't pay for it. But I do wish there was a international oceanographic program that does lots of subs and science of the deep. By the world for the world.

Toffe is right. The scientific return is HUGE compared to the investment. This particular vehicle pretty much proved the existence of life on other worlds. That was just one single discovery in a long list of discoveries during 50 years of exploration. As the article pointed out, there are practical reasons for funding this as well. If you lose something important at the bottom of the ocean, Alvin may be able to reach it 3 miles down. Trillions of dollars in mineral wealth are waiting to be discovered at depths only this submersible can reach. Oh, never mind. We can let Honey Boo Boo decide.

another sub the alumnanaut that rescued alvin is on display in richmond virginia at the virginia science museum

Is it just me or does that sphere look flimsy. it needs bigger windows, ones that can slide open.

Jay: Alvin already has one hatch and making the "windows" openable pretty much defeats the entire "submersible" concept. Also, JimD, the technology skills achieved in designing things like Alvin or the various space exploration tools, satellites, shuttle, & astronomical telescopes, etc., has paid off, spin off, benefits that are on the order of 10 times greater than the development costs, (this is an absolutely minimal estimate). Digital electronics alone has radically changed and improved everyone's life and is a direct outcome of hard science research that was first applied to research, defense, and aerospace objectives.

re; chaalfontcrew
I had the same thoughts on the subject.

reminds me of the joke my Dad used to tell about Paddy's axe:
'Nice new axe Paddy, when did you get rid of the old one?' 'Oh no' says Paddy, '3 new heads & four new handles now, but its still the same axe...'