Reaching a depth of around 500 meters, the two crews are comprised of scientists from the Limnology Institute of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences and the P. P. Shirshov Institute of Oceanology of the Russian Academy of Sciences.  The Mir-1 manned submersible begins its descent at 12:15 pm with a crew of: pilot Viktor Nishcheta, Limnology Institute Geologist Oleg Khlystov, and Andrei Khabuyev, Leading Geologist at the Institute’s Laboratory of Baikal Geology.  The Mir-2 craft submerges an hour later with a crew of: pilot and Hero of Russia Yevgeny Chernyayev, Scientific Observer Konstantin Kucher (Geologist of the Hydrology and Hydrodynamics Laboratory at the Limnology Institute), Alexei Rozhkov (of the Institute of Oceanology).  The experts keep to a previously-developed program that includes: studying surface methane bubbles; studying the residue of methane deposits; conducting an experiment involving gas hydrates’ creation and decay; studying Goloustny Bay’s current geological condition; and taking bottom temperature readings.