Going up to sky, deep into earth and down to ocean, have always been shared dreams of human beings from ancient time. 

On January 10th, R/V Kexue set sail again from Xiamen Harbour. 

China's most advanced and sophisticated research vessel---Kexue---finished its first Seamount, Yap expedition on 7th this month. After reorganization, on 10th , R/V Kexue left the eastern Xiamen city on Saturday on a new expedition to the western Pacific Seamount. 

Exactly at 15 o’clock, it was misty and the visibility was 8 nautical miles. Looking down from the platform on the top floor, R/V Kexue was about to set sail. 

R/V Kexue is leaving Xiamen harbour 

The second expedition will focus on the study of deep-sea environment and ecology, part of the mission of energy conservation in tropical West Pacific ocean, said DONG Dongdong, chief scientist in the expedition.  

The Captain SUI Yiyong said, with 74 people on board, the vessel was expected to travel 6,000 nautical miles and return in mid-February.