# Question regarding the X-Prize for the race Challenger Deep in the Mariana Trench. **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 14, 2013, 6:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-regarding-the-x-prize-for-the-race-challenger-deep-in-the-mariana-trench/668826 "2013-09-14T06:18:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![davidmich](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e56c9b/32.png) [@davidmich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidmich)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2013, 6:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-regarding-the-x-prize-for-the-race-challenger-deep-in-the-mariana-trench/668826/1 "2013-09-14T06:18:31Z")
Hi, A few years ago (2010?)three different teams were racing each other to reach Challenger Deep in the Mariana Trench for $10 million (not that they really need the money!), made available by the X Prize Foundation. Teams led by Richard Branson (with his 2-seater submarine, called ”Virgin Oceanic”).Movie director and explorer James Cameron with his personally-designed “Deepsea Challenger”, and US entrepreneur Bruce Jones (in a 3-person sub called “Triton 36000/3” model). Has anyone won the X-Prize for for their submersibles yet? I haven’t seen anything about it for several years. I look forward to your feedback. davidmich ---
**Author:** ![davidmich](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e56c9b/32.png) [@davidmich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidmich)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2013, 1:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-regarding-the-x-prize-for-the-race-challenger-deep-in-the-mariana-trench/668826/2 "2013-09-14T13:28:06Z")
It’s possible that Richard Branson and Bruce Jones are still working on their dives. James Cameron has already made his and is planning more I believe. He’s working on his Avatar sequel. If anyone knows I’d appreciate some feedback on that. davidmich ---
**Author:** ![coremelt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/4491bb/32.png) [@coremelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/coremelt)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2013, 2:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-regarding-the-x-prize-for-the-race-challenger-deep-in-the-mariana-trench/668826/3 "2013-09-14T14:02:50Z")
The website at [xprize.org](http://xprize.org) doesn’t lost a prize for diving to challenger deep. Doing a google search finds news articles claiming there was going to be an xprize but maybe it fell through? ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2013, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-regarding-the-x-prize-for-the-race-challenger-deep-in-the-mariana-trench/668826/4 "2013-09-14T18:03:02Z")
Didn’t we already do this, over fifty years ago? ---
**Author:** ![Ispolkom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/e47774/32.png) [@Ispolkom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ispolkom)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2013, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-regarding-the-x-prize-for-the-race-challenger-deep-in-the-mariana-trench/668826/5 "2013-09-15T00:37:48Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Didn’t we already do this, over fifty years ago? For about twenty minutes? ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Strangelove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr.strangelove/32/6613_2.png) [@Dr.Strangelove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Strangelove)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2013, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-regarding-the-x-prize-for-the-race-challenger-deep-in-the-mariana-trench/668826/6 "2013-09-15T02:42:43Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Didn’t we already do this, over fifty years ago? We also went to the moon like 40-something years ago… ---
**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2013, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-regarding-the-x-prize-for-the-race-challenger-deep-in-the-mariana-trench/668826/7 "2013-09-15T22:57:37Z")
> [@Dr.Strangelove](#): > > We also went to the moon like 40-something years ago… [Indeed.](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=283407) ---
**Author:** ![davidmich](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e56c9b/32.png) [@davidmich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidmich)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2013, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-regarding-the-x-prize-for-the-race-challenger-deep-in-the-mariana-trench/668826/8 "2013-09-21T20:58:11Z")
Here’s an Atlantic magazine article from 2011 > **[Racing to the Bottom: Exploring the Deepest Point on Earth](https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2011/07/racing-to-the-bottom-exploring-the-deepest-point-on-earth/242486/?single_page=true)** > > Teams led by Richard Branson, James Cameron, and some unknown guy from Florida are all hoping to make it to the Mariana Trench I haven’t seen anything else recently. I would be nice to know what happened. davidmich ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2013, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-regarding-the-x-prize-for-the-race-challenger-deep-in-the-mariana-trench/668826/9 "2013-09-21T22:10:42Z")
[James Cameron got there 18 months ago](http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2012/03/120325-james-cameron-mariana-trench-challenger-deepest-returns-science-sub/). ---
**Author:** ![davidmich](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e56c9b/32.png) [@davidmich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidmich)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2013, 11:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-regarding-the-x-prize-for-the-race-challenger-deep-in-the-mariana-trench/668826/10 "2013-09-22T11:16:39Z")
Thanks kunilou. I’m aware of that. But what of the other competitors in the race? Richard Branson et al. What about the X Prize? I haven’t hear about any follow up events after James Cameron’s dive. davidmich