The umbilical cable is the vehicle's lifeline to the support vessel. It carries tens of kilowatts of power, and six tiny fiber optics for all of the video, telemetry, and instrumentation data. Two layers of helically-wound steel armor provide the necessary strength for the cable to support its own weight (the vehicle is actually buoyant, but the cable weighs many tons). Here's a section with the armor removed.
The umbilical cable is the vehicle's lifeline to the support vessel. It carries tens of kilowatts of power, and six tiny fiber optics for all of the video, telemetry, and instrumentation data. Two layers of helically-wound steel armor provide the necessary strength for the cable to support its own weight (the vehicle is actually buoyant, but the cable weighs many tons). Here's a section with the armor removed.
