The Titanic submarine: everything we know so far

You have probably seen by now that a private tour group who was set to explore the Titanic is lost at sea in a minisubmarine. The OceanGate vessel, the Titan, has five souls on board including the CEO of OceanGate who was serving as crew. If the vessel is still intact, it has limited oxygen. There is a major multi-jurisdictional effort to rescue the group before time runs out.

Here is everything we know about the lost vessel, what might have gone wrong, and the ongoing search: 

The Titan 

1. There is no way to control the vessel outside of a bare bones wireless system 

This TikTok shows how the system is operated and how truly barebones the vessel really is.

2. The Titan has made successful deep dives before 

But it also had other problems in previous voyages. 

3. It’s about the size of a minivan 

The quarters within the vessel are extremely tight which is why oxygen is so limited. The only oxygen they have is what it’s fueled with. 

4. World renowned explorer and host of Expedition unknown, Josh Gates, had a chance to ride in the Titan but had concerns

Gates is known for going on all kinds of adventures that seem pretty dicey. He says he once dove in the Titan and after doing so and learning about its functionality made the choice not to pursue footage of the Titanic. 

What might have gone wrong 

1. The depths of the exploration are extreme

One of the reasons the Titanic is such a difficult target is that it’s so deep. Not many vessels can safely approach a depth below effective sonar technology.

2. The Titan had no tether to the mothership 

Though the Titan is a submersible which traditionally means it is tethered to a ship at the surface, the Titan was is not tethered which means it can’t just be pulled in

3. A lot could have gone wrong at the Titanic itself 

Some are theorizing that the vessel might have gotten stuck inside the Titanic wreckage. It’s possible that the Titan is blocked by wreckage infrastructure and not able to continue rising to the surface.

The Search 

1. Another deep sea sub is on the way to help rescue 

One of the problems with rescuing the Titan is how deep it may have gone. The Victor has saved other vessels at deeper depths than the 12,500 feet of the Titanic wreckage. 

2. There have been banging sounds picked up by sonar 

This audio recording is not verified but the Coast Guard has confirmed they have picked up on banging of some kind. There are a lot of metal parts on the sunken Titanic so it’s not certain that the banging is from the lost vessel. 

3. The search area is massive 

The search radius is about twice the size of the state of Connecticut and 2.5 miles deep.