Wanderlust World Wanderlust World As of 2024, fewer than 30 people have reached Challenger Deep (Mariana Trench, ~10,925 m / 35,843 ft). The exact count varies by source (some count support crew in submersibles), but the pilots/divers who commanded the descent are an elite handful.
| Year | Person(s) | Vehicle | Depth (m) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960 | Jacques Piccard & Don Walsh | Trieste (bathyscaphe) | 10,916 | First humans at bottom. 20 min on bottom. Saw flatfish (debated). |
| 2012 | James Cameron | Deepsea Challenger | 10,908 | Solo. 3 hrs on bottom. 3D filming. Sample collection. |
| 2019 | Victor Vescovo | Limiting Factor (Triton 36000/2) | 10,928 | First repeat diver (5 dives). Certified deepest. Commercial sub. |
| 2019 | Patrick Lahey | Limiting Factor | 10,928 | Co-pilot with Vescovo. |
| 2020 | Kathy Sullivan | Limiting Factor | 10,915 | First woman. Former astronaut (spacewalker). |
| 2020 | Vanessa O'Brien | Limiting Factor | 10,925 | Second woman. Explorer/author. |
| 2020 | John Rost | Limiting Factor | 10,925 | Pilot/engineer. |
| 2021 | Richard Garriott | Limiting Factor | 10,917 | Astronaut son (Owen Garriott). Game developer. |
| 2022 | Dawn Wright | Limiting Factor | 10,919 | First Black person. ESRI Chief Scientist. |
Vescovo's Caladan Oceanic / Triton team has conducted 20+ dives to Challenger Deep (2019–2022), including scientists, pilots, and citizen explorers. The Limiting Factor is the first fully certified, reusable full-ocean-depth submersible—changing access from "expedition" to "operation."
Challenger Deep remains the ultimate frontier on Earth—harder to reach than orbit. But the door is finally opening.