atlantic's harbor branch oceanographic institution. >> all right. ready to go. >> ready to go. >> reporter: but other manned sea vehicles may be next to line to aid in the malaysia airlines search. if this or another submersible can get where the wreckage is, how effective do you think this could be? >> very effective. >> reporter: this is the view of the submersible in the atlantic ocean. it can go 3,000 feet deep. but like all research sub, it's slow. it only travels just one mile per hour when searching. the sub was called to duty in 1986 after the space shuttle "challenger" exploded. and it recovered some of the wreckage from the ill-fated shuttle. >> we have the capability of lifting around 1,000 pounds of weight to the surface. >> reporter: in the very front of the submersible a tool called a manipulator which does the important work of grabbing, scooping and sucking up samples that are recovered. this sub is about 24 feet long.