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From 1519 to 1522, explorer Fernand Magellan led a journey that had him become the first person to ever circumnavigate the Earth.
On October 10th, 2025, an autonomous underwater robot was launched to become the first unmanned vehicle to do the same thing. This journey is expected to take about five years, and it will follow a similar path.
It got its start just off the docks of the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution in Massachusetts. From there, it will travel along the Gulf Stream, crossing the Atlantic Ocean.
It is scheduled to stop first in Gran Canaria, which is in the Canary Islands of Spain. From there, it will travel to Cape Town, located on the southern tip of Africa. Its journey continues across the Indian Ocean to Australia and New Zealand.
It will then go through the potentially dangerous Antarctic Circumpolar Current, just below the tip of South America, taking it to the Falkland Islands in the South Atlantic. From there, it will continue north with potential stops in Brazil and the Caribbean before finally returning to the East Coast of the USA to complete the trip.
The whole journey will be about 73,000 kilometers (45,000 miles). The vessel will travel at an average speed of just .75 knots.
This autonomous submarine vehicle was developed by Teledyne Marine and Rutgers University-New Brunswick. It is called the Solcum Sentinel Glider, and is nicknamed Redwing.
It is an advanced robotic vehicle that can run on traditional propellers, but the bulk of the journey will be made by gliding through the water using gravity and buoyancy. It essentially surfs the ocean currents rather than pushing its way through them.
This method of moving requires much less power than engines or propellers, making it a very efficient option. It is also a lot slower, which is why the journey will take so long.
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Completing this trip is a major accomplishment on its own, but it will also involve doing lots of science along the way. The vehicle is equipped with sensors to collect data on things like depth, water temperature, and water salinity. This will help scientists to build a three-dimensional view of the ocean.
The data will be sent back to researchers when the sub resurfaces every 8-12 hours and links up with a satellite. In addition, the sub is equipped with a fish-tracking system. This system will allow tagged fish to check in with the sub, and the sub can relay that information to the researchers who are monitoring those fish.
Having the ability to get an update from the fish tags could provide valuable data for many future studies.
Mission co-leader, Scott Glenn, is a Distinguished Professor in the Department of Marine and Coastal Sciences in the Rutgers School of Biological Sciences. In a statement given to IFLScience, he said:
“This is a historic moment for ocean science. We’re deploying a robot that will travel the world’s oceans, gathering data. And we’re doing it with students, educators, and international collaborators every step of the way.”
The success of the Redwing’s quest is far from certain. It will have to successfully navigate many challenges, including avoiding fishing nets, surviving shipping lanes, going through harsh weather conditions, and much more.
If you thought that was interesting, you might like to read about the mysterious “pyramids” discovered in Antarctica. What are they?