In our last update, we shared the modifications to our system design and how we plan to test them in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch this summer. Now, only one month later, the latest version of this design, dubbed System 001/B, has arrived in the patch after eight days of transit.

This is an exciting step in our journey – seeing as how we designed, procured, assembled, and launched an entirely new system in only four months. With every iteration and deployment of our cleanup systems we get closer to reaching proven technology. What we are doing is challenging, though. The road to cleanup is not linear, nor is it easy – but it’s definitely worth doing. During the deployment of System 001/B, we will trial modifications to speed it up or slow it down, with the end goal of creating a consistent speed through plastic that allows us to effectively capture and retain the catch. If we do not achieve proven technology status with this campaign, we will certainly learn a great deal from this system for the next iteration. Before we give more details about the upcoming tests, here’s a bit of background on the assembly and launch of System 001/B.

ASSEMBLY AND LAUNCH

Plastic in the patch is persistent and it’s not going away by itself, therefore time efficiency is a factor we are prioritizing with this adapted system. Speedier turnaround in our processes also means we learn faster as well. With this in mind, we knew we wanted to get back to the patch as soon as possible, so the assembly and departure location needed to accommodate the short lead time we set to launch System 001/B. When preparing for System 001, we leased and built up an entirely new assembly yard (in Alameda, CA) – this was not an option if we were to return to the patch quickly. This time around, we had more opportunity because the revised system is smaller (approximately one quarter the size of Wilson) and more modular.