The second goal of the cruise was to deploy a new "10K free fall camera system" called "Ashura", to sample sediments and biologics at the bottom of the Challenger Deep. The principal investigator at the Challenger Deep was Taishi Tsubouchi of JAMSTEC. The lander "Ashura" made two descents: on the first, 6 July 2009, "Ashura" bottomed at at . The second descent (on 10 July 2009) was to at . The 270 kg "Ashura" was equipped with multiple baited traps, a HTDV video camera, and devices to recover sediment, water, and biological samples (mostly amphipods at the bait, and bacteria and fungus from the sediment and water samples).