James Cameron's Deepsea Challenger comes to D.C.

      After nine years of design and development, a dream came true.

      From the powerful imagination of James Cameron comes the Deepsea Challenger- the only submarine able to take a human to the deepest oceanic regions.

      An engineer with the project explained that the creators needed to make sure that there was enough battery for the life support to ensure that a crew member could survive for 50 hours if they were stuck on the bottom.

      For a documentary bearing the same name, Cameron piloted this bright green submarine to the Marianas Trench and at times reached more than six miles below sea-level. It was a feat that before Deepsea Challenger's descent seemed impossible.

      During the 10 hour journey, Cameron and his team brought back sediment samples and discovered 68 new species thriving in nearly inhospitable conditions at a pressure 1000 times that of sea level.

      Robert Lowe, a Shady Side, Maryland resident who came to the district to see the submarine in person, said, "It's intriguing. I'm an engineer, so this kind of stuff is interesting to me."

      Kris Ludwig, an oceanographer who lives in the district, said it's a symbol of the value of ocean exploration.

      For the Academy Award-winning director, it was yet another change to prove that reality can grow when imagination, curiosity and courage combine.

      "You put those three things together, and you can do anything you want to do, and this sub is the proof of it," Cameron says.