![]() Titan relies on regular contact with the surface to navigate. Until then we have a lot of preparations and briefings to do."Īnother possibility is that the ship could have gotten lost after a communication breakdown between Titan and its surface ship, the Polar Prince. Johns, Newfoundland, Canada yesterday and are planning to start dive operations around 4am tomorrow morning. "A weather window has just opened up and we are going to attempt a dive tomorrow. "Due to the worst winter in Newfoundland in 40 years, this mission is likely to be the first and only manned mission to the Titanic in 2023," Harding wrote on Instagram, June 17. The dive took place after a particularly harsh winter, during a brief reprieve from adverse weather conditions, Harding wrote before embarking on the voyage. Support ships lost contact with the custom-built submersible roughly 1 hour and 45 minutes into its 2.5-hour descent to the Titanic's wreck, which is located 12,500 feet (3,800 m) beneath the surface and about 900 miles (1,500 kilometers) east of Cape Cod, the U.S. Williams also wrote that there could have been a fire on board, potentially from an electrical short circuit, and that could have stopped the submersible's electronic systems from working. Although the Titan's composite hull is built to withstand intense deep-sea pressures, any defect in its shape or build could compromise its integrity - in which case there's a risk of implosion," he wrote on The Conversation. Williams, a professor at the Australian Centre for Field Robotics at the University of Sydney, suggested that the "worst case scenario is that it has suffered a catastrophic failure to its pressure housing. These include power failure, electrical faults, hull rupture, adverse weather conditions, or the submersible getting snagged on a piece of the Titanic's wreckage. It is too early to say what could have happened to Titan, though experts have suggested a number of potential scenarios as to how it went missing. (Image credit: OceanGate) What could have happened to the missing submersible? Pressure sensors on the sub monitor the structural integrity of its hull, which can "determine if the hull is compromised well before situations become life-threatening, and safely return to the surface," OceanGate said. How effective these pressure sensors are at preventing ruptures, which tend to happen very quickly, is hard to tell. The Titanic wreck sits about 12,500 feet (3,800 m) below the surface. Passengers can also look out directly from the Titan's viewport, a pressure-proof window with an internal diameter of 12.3 inches (31.2 centimeters), making it the largest viewport of any deep-diving crewed submersible, according to OceanGate. The viewpoint's manufacturer only certified it as safe at depths of 4,265 feet (1,300 meters). The crew members can see out of the vessel and into the deep-sea gloom thanks to an array of lights, a laser and sonar scanners, as well as externally mounted cameras. Titan has multiple methods to descend and return to the surface, including propellers floatation tanks that are flooded with water or filled with air and weights that can be dropped to provide positive buoyancy. OceanGate also uses Elon Musk's Starlink satellite technology during its diving operations. The submersible has four electric thrusters that are piloted with a Logitech gaming controller. This means that the crew inside cannot open it - to be let out, a team on the surface must unseal the hatch. Made from titanium and filament-wound carbon fiber, the submersible is bolted shut from the outside. The Titan is a custom-built, experimental vessel that has not had its design classified. Most major marine operators follow standards set by ship classification societies, although there is no legal requirement to seek classification. ![]() Built to dive to depths of 13,123 feet (4,000 meters) and travel at 3 knots (3.5 mph, or 5.6 km/h), the craft is 22 feet (6.7 m) long and weighs 23,000 pounds (10,400 kilograms). It is designed to carry up to five people, usually consisting of a pilot and four crew members. The Titan is a five-person research and survey submersible owned and operated by OceanGate - a private company that provides submersibles for commercial, research and military purposes, according to its website. Here’s everything we know so far about the submersible, the attempt to rescue it, and what might have happened to it.
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