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Missing Titanic sub: What is the Titan craft and what is it like on board?

Sub can provide occupants with about 96 hours of air and is designed to reach depths of 4km

Rescue teams are continuing the search for the OceanGate Expeditions submersible tourist vessel which went missing during a voyage to the Titanic shipwreck. Photograph: Dirty Dozen Productions/PA Wire NOTE TO EDITORS: This handout photo may only be used for editorial reporting purposes for the contemporaneous illustration of events, things or the people in the image or facts mentioned in the caption. Reuse of the picture may require further permission from the copyright holder.

Tue Jun 20 2023 - 08:00

A submersible carrying five people to tour the wreck of the Titanic on the Atlantic seabed went missing on Sunday.

The dive craft’s command ship lost contact with the submersible and its occupants less than two hours after launch, after which it informed the US Coast Guard.

Extensive rescue operations are currently under way, with the craft’s air supply thought to last a little under three more days. Here’s what we know about the missing vessel, the company behind the tours, and its CEO, Stockton Rush, who is believed to be on board:

What is the Titan submersible?

The missing craft is owned by OceanGate and is named Titan. The sub is designed to carry five people – a pilot and four passengers – and is made of carbon fibre and titanium, according to OceanGate’s website. It measures 6.7 metres (21 feet) in length and is designed to reach depths of 4km (2.5 miles). The Titanic sits on the seabed 2.4 miles down.

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A joint US-Candian search operation is underway to locate a missing submarine that was taking tourists to explore the wreckage of the Titanic. Video: Reuters

What is it like on board?

It is cramped and there are few facilities. Travellers are sealed into the cylindrical capsule from the outside. Inside the air is breathable and is recycled in a similar way to a spacecraft, and internal pressure remains constant. Facilities are sparse. At one end is a viewing portal 21 inches in diameter, which allows two passengers to look outside at once. There is a very small bathroom on board.

[ Missing Titanic sub: Race against time in search for tourist vessel with five onboard ]

What happened to the Titan?

Right now, nobody knows. According to the US Coast Guard, about an hour and 45 minutes after the sub launched on Sunday, the submersible’s command ship, the Polar Prince, lost contact with the vessel about 1,450km east of Cape Cod, Massachusetts.

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 on Monday, Rear Adm John Mauger of the US Coast Guard estimated 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 30ft 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 metres per minute, with propulsion coming from four electric thrusters. 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 Mr Rush, who, according to several newspapers, is on board. He holds a degree in aerospace engineering from Princeton University and an MBA from UC Berkeley’s Haas School of Business and has worked with Nasa and Boeing on the craft’s design.

What does OceanGate offer tourists hoping to see the Titanic?

OceanGate charges at least $250,000 (€228,000) for expeditions to the Titanic shipwreck. According to its website, the expedition lasts over a week and sets off from the Canadian city of St John’s in Newfoundland. Single dives take six to eight hours to reach the Titanic site, explore, and return to the surface. – Bloomberg

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