DSRV-1 Mystic

DSRV-1 Mystic is a Deep Submergence Rescue Vehicle (DSRV) that was operated by the United States Navy for deep-sea rescue operations. The DSRV-1 Mystic was commissioned in 1970 and decommissioned in 2008, replaced by the newer Submarine Rescue Diving Recompression System.

Design and Capabilities

The DSRV-1 Mystic was designed to rescue the crew of a sunken submarine. It was capable of descending to depths of up to 5,000 feet (1,500 m) and could rescue up to 24 people at a time. The vehicle was equipped with a sonar system for locating sunken submarines and a docking skirt for mating with a submarine's escape hatch.

Operational History

During its operational life, the DSRV-1 Mystic participated in numerous exercises and real-world operations. Notably, it was involved in the search for the sunken submarine USS Scorpion (SSN-589) in 1968. The DSRV-1 Mystic was also used in the recovery of the Space Shuttle Challenger debris in 1986.

Decommissioning and Replacement

The DSRV-1 Mystic was decommissioned in 2008 and replaced by the Submarine Rescue Diving Recompression System, a more modern and capable system. The DSRV-1 Mystic is now on display at the Naval Undersea Museum in Keyport, Washington.

See Also

• DSRV-2 Avalon
• Deep Submergence Vehicle
• Submarine Rescue Ship