On Sunday, a Titanic submarine carrying five people to tour the Titanic ruins on the Atlantic bottom went missing. The command ship of the diving craft lost touch with the submersible and its crew less than two hours after launch and notified the US Coast Guard.
Extensive rescue efforts are presently underway, with the craft’s air supply expected to last just under three days. Here’s what we know about the missing ship, the firm that runs the trips, and its CEO, Stockton Rush, who is believed to be on board:
What is the Titan submersible?
Titan, the missing vessel, is owned by OceanGate. According to OceanGate’s website, the sub can transport five people – a pilot and four passengers – and is built of carbon fibre and titanium. It is 6.7 metres long and designed to dive to depths of 2.5 miles (4 km). The Titanic is 2.4 miles beneath the seafloor.
What is it like on board?
It’s small and there aren’t many amenities. From the outside, travelers are sealed into the cylindrical capsule. The air inside is breathable and recycled in a similar manner to that of a spacecraft, and internal pressure remains constant. There are few facilities. A viewing aperture 21 inches in diameter at one end allows two people to look outdoors at the same time. On board, there is a very little bathroom.
What happened to the Titan?
Nobody knows right now. According to the US Coast Guard, the submersible’s command ship, the Polar Prince, lost touch with the craft around 900 miles (1,450 kilometres) east of Cape Cod, Massachusetts, about an hour and 45 minutes after it was launched.
How much air does the Titan have left?
Authorities said the sub is able to provide occupants with about 96 hours of air, citing information from the company. During a press conference in Boston at 4:30 p.m. on Monday, Rear Adm. John Mauger of the US Coast Guard estimated that the air capacity may, at that time, have been reduced to as little as 70 hours.
How is the Titan launched?
The craft sits on a platform until it reaches about 30 feet below the water’s surface, where it can start its journey to the seabed without the turbulence of waves and currents. Upon its return, it docks with the platform, and ballast tanks are filled with air, bringing the craft and its passengers back to the surface.
How is the submersible controlled?
The sub can travel at a speed of three knots and descend at 55 meters per minute, with propulsion coming from four electric thrusters. The attached equipment includes powerful external lights, cameras, and a laser scanner. David Pogue, a CBS journalist who took a trip in the Titan to view the Titanic in 2022, said he was surprised to discover the craft was controlled with a video game controller.
Who built the sub?
The Titan was built by Washington-based private company OceanGate Expeditions, which runs underwater vessels for charter and scientific exploration. It was the brainchild of CEO Stockton Rush, who, according to several newspapers, is on board. Rush, who holds a degree in aerospace engineering from Princeton University and an MBA from UC Berkeley’s Haas School of Business, worked with NASA and Boeing on the craft’s design.
What does OceanGate offer tourists hoping to see the Titanic?
Expeditions to the Titanic shipwreck cost at least $250,000, according to OceanGate. The voyage lasts more than a week and departs from the Canadian city of St. John’s in Newfoundland. Single dives take six to eight hours to reach, explore, and return to the surface of the Titanic.
What are difficulties with a potential rescue?
According to Alistair Greig, a professor of marine engineering at University College London, if the sub has sunk near the Titanic wreck, the depth of the site complicates any rescue efforts because few other vessels, including those designed for Navy submarine rescue, are capable of going so deep, let alone retrieving a submersible from the seabed. If the Titan has risen to the surface, it might be bobbing around waiting to be located, which would be quite uncomfortable for the people inside because submarines aren’t built to be on the surface.
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