Humans could inhabit the sea floor as soon as 2027 if DEEP, an oceanic exploration and technology company, meets its goals.
DEEP’s underwater habitat, Sentinel, would let researchers live at a depth of 200 meters (about 656 feet) for 28 days at a time, according to Oceanographic Magazine.
“Out of sight and out of mind — not having a better understanding of the oceans is no longer an option,” Sean Wolpert, president of Americas for DEEP, told the outlet. “DEEP is coming out of stealth mode now as we need to take others on this journey.
“We are already talking to potential international partners, and others with a long-term view of the needs of the planet, who recognize that the up-side for humanity in preserving and husbanding the oceans is now too great to ignore,” Wolpert said.
A lot of people are excited about what DEEP is doing. And we’re more than happy to show them how we’re making humans aquatic. We hosted CNN recently for their special feature on innovation. Watch the video to see their coverage of DEEP and our progress so far.… pic.twitter.com/4yy5HcSylj
— DEEP (@DeepEngineered) April 17, 2025
If successful, Sentinel would offer scientists extended access to the epipelagic “sunlight” zone, where the sun’s penetration into the ocean is deepest, and where 90 percent of marine life exists, according to Oceanographic Magazine.
“Everything below that is twilight and a bit difficult,” Wolpert told Forbes in 2024 regarding the epipelagic zone.
“When we examine the richness of life and biodiversity, we see that a significant portion of this activity occurs within the 200-meter zone near the surface of the ocean. This area is crucial because it is the primary zone where the planet’s heat is absorbed and transferred,” Wolpert said.
Would you live in one of these underwater pods?
Wolpert told Forbes that the goal was to begin deep-sea trials by the end of 2026.
“The time frame is to get approvals this year and then to begin melting metal by the end of this year,” Wolpert said in February 2024.
“We are very fortunate in that we have a very large limestone quarry that’s filled with water out in the west of England,” he said. “That’s where we’ll have the first Sentinel deployed.”
One of the advantages of having a sheltered expanse of water is that we’re ready to go in just about in any weather. But life sure is better when the sun is shining. Take a look at these views over DEEP Campus today.#DEEP #Campus #Spring pic.twitter.com/E3OS0sqbzi
— DEEP (@DeepEngineered) March 31, 2025
Of course, DEEP isn’t the only company pushing to inhabit environments unnatural to man.
Starship to Mars pic.twitter.com/yugko2BVU0
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) May 30, 2025
SpaceX CEO Elon Musk hasn’t slowed in his ambition to colonize Mars.
By 2026, he plans to land unmanned Starships on the red planet to collect data, according to the SpaceX website.
“The next Mars opportunity is at the end of next year in about 18 months,” Musk told an audience in Starbase, Texas, in May.
“I think we’ll probably have a 50-50 chance right now because we’ve got to figure out orbital refilling in order to have enough capability to go to Mars. But if we achieve orbital refilling in time, then we will launch the first uncrewed Starship to Mars at the end of next year,” Musk said.
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