James Cameron's sub makes successful unmanned test dive to far reaches of ocean

James Cameron emerging from the hatch of DEEPSEA CHALLENGER during testing of the submersible in Jervis Bay, south of Sydney, Australia. (AP Photo/Mark Thiessen, National Geographic)

HONOLULU – A submarine that will take "Titanic" director James Cameron to the Earth's deepest point has made a successful unmanned test dive.

Cameron tells National Geographic News that his specially designed submarine called Deepsea Challenger completed the nearly 7-mile test dive Wednesday. The team returned to calmer waters and was headed back to the site Saturday.

If all goes well, he'll spend about six hours exploring and filming the bottom of the Mariana Trench, about 200 miles southwest of the Pacific island of Guam.

Swiss engineer Jacques Piccard and U.S. Navy Capt. Don Walsh are the only other men to reach the spot. They spent about 20 minutes there during their 1960 dive but couldn't see much after their sub kicked up sand from the sea floor.