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It has been only little over a year since the Titan submersible went down in the depths of the ocean in an implosion while on a voyage to visit the Titanic shipwreck. Now, the company that has the rights to explore the wreck is going to visit the ship that sank in its maiden voyage in 1912, killing an estimated 1,635 people.
This month, RMS Titanic Inc., the US-based company will go on its first expedition to the RMS Titanic wreck and debris area since 2010.
The company said on its website that the the expedition will include leading deep ocean imaging experts, oceanographers, scientists and historians who will take the most high-resolution images of the wreck, debris area, as well as study the hitherto unseen marine life and collect artefacts. The wreck lies some 3,800 metres down in the North Atlantic Ocean, off the coast of Newfoundland in Canada.
What happened to Titanic?
The biggest ocean liner of its time, the RMS Titanic was described as the ‘ship of dreams’ and ‘unsinkable’. It was going on its first voyage from Southampton in England to New York in the US, with some 2,224 people on board.
Four days into the trip, she struck a massive iceberg on 14 April 1912 and sank the next day.
It was carrying some of the wealthiest people on both sides of the Atlantic. The wreck lay on the ocean bed for years, evoking awe and curiosity.
What happened to Titan submersible?
The Titan submersible was on a voyage to see the wreck when it imploded on 18 June 2023. The submersible, operated by US-based expeditions company OceanGate, went missing in the North Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Newfoundland.
On board were OceanGate boss Stockton Rush, Pakistani-British businessman Shahzada Dawood, his son Suleman, French deep-sea explorer Paul-Henri Nargeolet and British businessman Hamish Harding.
Before the accident, Titan lost contact with ground control. After days of a massive international search operation, it was declared that all on board were presumed dead. It is believed that the submersible was destroyed in an explosion caused by pressure failure inside the pod’s hull.
What is the new Titanic mission trying to achieve?
RMS Titanic INC said the mission will take high-resolution photos of the wreck “to preserve the Titanic legacy for future generations and scientific study”.
Remotely operated vehicles will survey the site and debris area. The mission, it said “is to utilise the latest technology to continue the important work of surveying the Titanic wreck site, enhancing our understanding of its historical significance, identifying at-risk artefacts for safe recovery in future expeditions, protecting and conserving the area for future generations, furthering the current scientific study, engaging a world-wide community in discovering and identifying new artefacts and marine life never before seen, and inspiring the next generation of explorers.”
The expedition crew will consist of Troy Launay, President of TR LaunaY Inc.; David Gallo, senior advisor for Strategic Initiatives for RMS Titanic, Inc.; Rory Golden, Titanic historian; Evan Kovacs, director of underwater photography; Tomasina Ray, director of collections at RMS Titanic, Inc; and James Penca, a Titanic researcher.
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Why is Titanic causing so much interest?
It is mainly because of the scale of the tragedy, in contrast with the claims made by its makers about its strength and invincibility. Over the years, Titanic evoked the imagination of many, particularly since public culture adoptions like the massive Oscar-winning hit Titanic.
Directed by James Cameron, the 1997 film won 11 Oscars from 14 nominations, including best director, best picture in 1998. The fictional love story starring Kate Winslet and Leonardo de Caprio also won her the best actress Oscar.
Cameron is a diving enthusiast, having gone down into the abyss himself. He went on several trips to the Titanic wreck besides other deep-see exploration sites, often in vessels designed or improvised by him.
(With inputs from agencies)
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