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Missing Titanic sub: what are submersibles, how do they communicate, and what may have gone wrong?

<p><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/stefan-b-williams-1448728">Stefan B. Williams</a>, <em><a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-sydney-841">University of Sydney</a></em></p> <p>An extensive <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-65953872">search and rescue operation</a> is underway to locate a commercial submersible that went missing during a dive to the Titanic shipwreck.</p> <p>According to the US Coast Guard, contact with the submersible was lost about one hour and 45 minutes into the dive, with five people onboard. The vessel was <a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/titanic-submersible-search-oceangate-expeditions-vessel-missing-as-us-coast-guard-launches-search/9d7352d8-6a6d-4dc1-afac-ce07dc63cea3">reported overdue</a> at 9.13pm local time on Sunday (12.13pm AEST, Monday).</p> <p>The expedition was being run by US company OceanGate as part of an eight-day trip with guests paying US$250,000 per head to visit the wreck site. As of <a href="https://edition.cnn.com/americas/live-news/titanic-submersible-missing-search-06-19-23/h_c2b5400daf8538d8717f50c619d762ac">Monday afternoon</a> (Tuesday morning in Australia), US Coast Guard Rear Admiral John Mauger said the watercraft likely had somewhere between 70 and the full 96 hours of oxygen available to the passengers.</p> <p>The Titanic’s wreck sits some 3,800 metres deep in the Atlantic, about 700km south of St John’s, Newfoundland. Finding an underwater vehicle the size of a small bus in this vast and remote expanse of ocean will be no small feat. Here’s what the search and rescue teams are up against.</p> <h2>OceanGate’s Titan submersible goes missing</h2> <p>Submersibles are manned watercraft that move in a similar fashion to submarines, but within a much more limited range. They’re often used for research and exploration purposes, including to search for shipwrecks and to document underwater environments. Unlike submarines, they usually have a viewport to allow passengers look outside, and outside cameras that provide a broader view around the submersible.</p> <p>The missing submersible in question is an OceanGate <a href="https://oceangate.com/our-subs/titan-submersible.html">Titan</a> watercraft, which can take five people to depths of up to 4,000m. The Titan is about 22 feet (6.7m) in length, with speeds of about 3 knots (or 5.5km per hour). Although submersibles are often connected to a surface vessel by a tether, video and photos suggest the Titan was likely operating independently of the surface ship.</p> <p>According to OceanGate’s website, the Titan is used “for site survey and inspection, research and data collection, film and media production, and deep-sea testing of hardware and software”.</p> <p>It also has a “real-time hull health monitoring (RTM) system”. This would likely include strain gauges to monitor the health of the Titan’s carbon fibre hull. A strain gauge is a kind of sensor that can measure applied force and small deformations in material resulting from changes in pressure, tension and weight.</p> <p>The Titan’s carbon fibre hull connects two domes made of composite titanium – a material that can withstand deep-sea pressures. At 3,800m below sea level (the depth of the Titanic) you can expect pressures about 380 times greater than the atmospheric pressure we’re used to on the surface of the earth.</p> <figure class="align-center zoomable"><a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/532840/original/file-20230620-23-c6k9lo.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=1000&amp;fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/532840/original/file-20230620-23-c6k9lo.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/532840/original/file-20230620-23-c6k9lo.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=413&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/532840/original/file-20230620-23-c6k9lo.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=413&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/532840/original/file-20230620-23-c6k9lo.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=413&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/532840/original/file-20230620-23-c6k9lo.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=518&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/532840/original/file-20230620-23-c6k9lo.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=518&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/532840/original/file-20230620-23-c6k9lo.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=518&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 2262w" alt="Several tube like shapes on a rectangular concrete platform underwater" /></a><figcaption><span class="caption">Titan on the launch platform underwater, awaiting a signal to commence the dive.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://oceangate.com/gallery/gallery-titan.html#nanogallery/titangallery/0/4">OceanGate</a></span></figcaption></figure> <h2>Communication and rescue efforts</h2> <p>The Titan would have had an acoustic link with its surface vessel, set up through a transponder (a device for receiving a sonar signal) on its end, and a transceiver (a device that can both transmit and receive communications) on the surface vessel.</p> <p>This link allows for underwater acoustic positioning, as well as for short text messages to be sent back and forth to the surface vessel – but the amount of data that can be shared is limited and usually includes basic telemetry and status information.</p> <p>The Titan is a battery-operated watercraft. Given it has lost all contact with its surface vessel, it may have suffered a power failure. Ideally, there would be an emergency backup power source (such as an independent battery) to maintain emergency and life support equipment – but it’s unclear if the missing vessel had any power backup on hand.</p> <p>According to reports, at least two aircraft, a submarine and sonar buoys were being used to search for the vessel. The sonar buoys will be listening for underwater noise, including any emergency distress beacons that may have gone off.</p> <p>One of the major challenges in the rescue effort will be contending with weather conditions, which will further shrink an already narrow search window.</p> <figure class="align-center zoomable"><a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/532842/original/file-20230620-49349-cnzdk6.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=1000&amp;fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/532842/original/file-20230620-49349-cnzdk6.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/532842/original/file-20230620-49349-cnzdk6.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=413&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/532842/original/file-20230620-49349-cnzdk6.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=413&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/532842/original/file-20230620-49349-cnzdk6.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=413&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/532842/original/file-20230620-49349-cnzdk6.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=518&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/532842/original/file-20230620-49349-cnzdk6.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=518&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/532842/original/file-20230620-49349-cnzdk6.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=518&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 2262w" alt="A dark blue image with a tube like shape floating in the lower third" /></a><figcaption><span class="caption">Titan commencing a dive to 4,000m underwater.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://oceangate.com/gallery/gallery-titan.html#nanogallery/titangallery/0/1">OceanGate</a></span></figcaption></figure> <h2>What might have happened?</h2> <p>In a best case scenario, the Titan may have lost power and will have an inbuilt safety system that will help it return to the surface. For instance, it may be equipped with additional weights that can be dropped to instantly increase its buoyancy and bring it back to the surface.</p> <p>Alternatively, the vessel may have lost power and ended up at the bottom of the ocean. This would be a more problematic outcome.</p> <p>The worst case scenario is that it has suffered a catastrophic failure to its pressure housing. 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.</p> <p>Another possibility is that there may have been a fire onboard, such as from an electrical short circuit. This could compromise the vehicle’s electronic systems which are used for navigation and control of the vessel. Fires are a disastrous event in enclosed underwater environments, and can potentially incapacitate the crew and passengers.</p> <p>Time is of the essence. The search and rescue teams will need to find the vessel before its <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20230331121053/https://oceangateexpeditions.com/tour/titanic-expedition/">limited supplies</a> of oxygen and water run out.</p> <p>There’s an ongoing debate in scientific circles regarding the relative merit of manned submersibles, wherein each deployment incurs a safety risk – and the safety of the crew and passengers is paramount.</p> <p>Currently, most underwater research and offshore industrial work is conducted using unmanned and robotic vehicles. A loss to one of these vehicles might compromise the work being done, but at least lives aren’t at stake. In light of these events, there will likely be intense discussion about the risks associated with using these systems to support deep-sea tourism.<!-- Below is The Conversation's page counter tag. Please DO NOT REMOVE. --><img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/208100/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /><!-- End of code. If you don't see any code above, please get new code from the Advanced tab after you click the republish button. The page counter does not collect any personal data. More info: https://theconversation.com/republishing-guidelines --></p> <p><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/stefan-b-williams-1448728">Stefan B. Williams</a>, Professor, Australian Centre for Field Robotics, <em><a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-sydney-841">University of Sydney</a></em></p> <p><em>This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/missing-titanic-sub-what-are-submersibles-how-do-they-communicate-and-what-may-have-gone-wrong-208100">original article</a>.</em></p> <p><em>Images: Getty</em></p>

Technology

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Search underway for tourists missing on Titanic submarine

<p dir="ltr">An expedition submersible, better known as the Titan, has gone missing in the Atlantic Ocean with five people on board.</p> <p dir="ltr">The group had set out as part of their eight-day venture to explore the wreckage of the RMS Titanic, with the company behind the trip - OceanGate Expeditions - boasting it as a “chance to step outside of everyday life and discover something truly extraordinary”.</p> <p dir="ltr">However, around one hour and 45 minutes after commencing the dive - approximately 600 km off the coast of Newfoundland, Canada, and roughly 4 km below the ocean surface - the Canadian research vessel that they were working with, the Polar Prince, reportedly lost contact with them, and hasn’t been able to re-establish communication. </p> <p dir="ltr">Coast Guards have confirmed that a search is underway, with Lt Samantha Corcoran explaining that they were “just trying to use all efforts and work with international partners to try to get any resources out there to safely locate all five individuals.”</p> <p dir="ltr">The last photo of the vessel - a 6.4-metre, 23,000 pound submersible - was taken early on the morning of its disappearance, with fog and wet weather conditions apparent, as it was being taken out into the water on a barge between two dinghies. </p> <p dir="ltr">Weather had not been ideal through the season, with British billionaire and “mission specialist” for the Titan team Hamish Harding noting that it had been “the worst winter in Newfoundland in 40 years” in a post to social media ahead of the trip.</p> <p dir="ltr">“This mission is likely to be the first and only manned mission to the Titanic in 2023” he added. “A weather window has just opened up and we are going to attempt a dive tomorrow.”</p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CtmxGHvs1yE/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CtmxGHvs1yE/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Capt. Hamish Harding (@actionaviationchairman)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p dir="ltr">Harding’s step son had taken to Facebook in the wake of the disappearances to write “thoughts and prayers for my stepfather Hamish Harding as his Submarine has gone missing exploring Titanic. </p> <p dir="ltr">“Search and rescue mission is underway.”</p> <p dir="ltr">And while he later removed the post, the search continued, with OceanGate Expeditions making a statement about their efforts, explaining that the company was “exploring and mobilising all options to bring the crew back safely.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Our entire focus is on the crew members in the submersible and their families.</p> <p dir="ltr">“We are deeply thankful for the extensive assistance we have received from several government agencies and deep sea companies in our efforts to reestablish contact with the submersible.</p> <p dir="ltr">“We are working toward the safe return of the crew members.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Those crew members consisted of Harding, French submersible pilot Paul-Henry Nargeolet, OceanGate Expeditions chief executive and founder Stockton Rush are also on board the sub, and two others. </p> <p dir="ltr">And while there is “a comprehensive approach to try and locate this submersible” underway, according to First District Coast Guard Rear Admiral John Mauger, “it is a large area of water [around the wreckage] and it’s complicated by local weather conditions as well”.</p> <p dir="ltr">Mauger shared that they believed the vessel had not surfaced, an element that made their search endeavour a more complicated process, as the coast guards were thereby forced to use sonar to search below the surface. </p> <p dir="ltr">Time is of the essence too, as the missing submersible was designed with just 96 hours of “emergency capability”, leaving rescuers with a limited window to local the crew and bring them back to safety. </p> <p dir="ltr">As Mauger told the media, “we anticipate there is somewhere between 70 and the full 96 hours available at this point.”</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Images: Instagram</em></p>

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Cruise lines to offer private submarines

<p>Cruise holidays just got a whole lot deeper.</p> <p>A new range of private submarines have been launched, which allow tourists to venture deep under water.</p> <p>U-Boat Worx has launched three new "luxury" submarine models, with some capable of diving to 1,140 metres - making them the deepest-diving tourist submersibles ever.</p> <p>The vessels can carry up to nine people per dive.</p> <p>The Netherlands-based submersible manufacturer says it is seeing increased demand from the industry, after the first success stories of submersibles operated from luxury Cruise Ships like The Taipan from Star Cruises and the Crystal Esprit.</p> <p>"Our operations on cruise ships inspired the development of the Cruise Sub series," says Bert Houtman, founder and chairman.</p> <p>"Whether the operator focuses on exclusive deep sea exploration in remote destinations or on doing numerous subsea excursions on coral reefs, the Cruise Subs are optimised for maximising the guest experience."</p> <p><img width="500" height="278" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/21697/cruise-line-submarine-2_500x278.jpg" alt="Cruise Line Submarine 2"/></p> <p>The interior can revolve so passengers get a panoramic view, and the battery-powered subs can be operated non-stop for up to 12 hours, the company said.</p> <p>Going underwater could be the next big thing in cruising - last year a company announced that it will begin offering submarine tours of the Titanic wreck.</p> <p>The tour takes in the ship's famous grand staircase, the ship's huge anchors and the Marconi Room.</p> <p>"We have sent over 40 people down and they have been housewives to technology billionaires, the Titanic really does capture the minds of a wide crowd," director of Bluefish, Steve Sims, said last year.</p> <p>"More people have been into space than set eyes on the Titanic."</p> <p>What do you think about these “luxury” submarine models? Do you think you’d be compelled to go try them out if you found yourself on a cruise that offered them?</p> <p>Please let us know in the comments below. </p> <p><em>Image credit: U-Boat Worx</em></p> <p><em>First appeared on <strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://Stuff.co.nz" target="_blank">Stuff.co.nz</a>.</span></strong><br /></em></p> <p><strong>Related links:</strong></p> <p><a href="/travel/cruising/2016/05/woman-sells-everything-to-become-permanent-cruise-ship-resident/"><em><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Woman sells everything to become permanent cruise ship resident</span></strong></em></a></p> <p><a href="/travel/cruising/2016/04/cheaper-to-cruise-than-live-in-london/"><em><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>It’s cheaper to live on a cruise ship than in London</strong></span></em></a></p> <p><a href="/travel/cruising/2016/04/titanic-compared-to-modern-day-cruise-ships/"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>The Titanic compared to modern day cruise ships</strong></em></span></a></p>

Cruising