James Cameron Begins Descent to Ocean's Deepest Point

"After years of preparation and days of uncooperative weather conditions, James Cameron, at approximately 3:15 p.m. ET (5:15 a.m., local time), began descending solo to Earth's deepest, and perhaps most alien, realm, according to members of the National Geographic expedition. If all goes to plan, within two hours of his submersible's launch, the National Geographic explorer and filmmaker should become the first human to reach the Mariana Trench's Challenger Deep alone—and the only one to explore it in depth, in person."
  Ker Than for National Geographic News / more