Flight 370: How the BlueFin-21 Sonar Sub Works

 
Teams looking for Malaysian Airlines Flight 370 are trying to narrow the 500-square-mile search zone in the Indian Ocean so the U.S. Navy can send down Bluefin-21, a robotic sub designed to map the seabed in hopes of finding a debris field.

The Bluefin-21 is an unmanned submarine that uses sonar to map the sea floor. The submarine will now be used in place of the towed pinger locator.

It takes two hours for the Bluefin-21 underwater vehicle to reach the seabed to search for remnants of Malaysia Airlines Flight 370.

Why do authorities think it’s now the best hope for finding the missing plane? Because at the moment it’s really the best source of hope and has the best ability to see where human eyes can’t.