OceanGate Inc. and the Missing Titanic Submarine
OceanGate Inc., a privately held U.S. company based in Everett, Washington, has been at the forefront of underwater exploration and research since its inception in 2009. The company, founded by Stockton Rush, operates crewed submersibles for various purposes, including industry, research, and exploration. In 2021, OceanGate began taking paying customers to visit the Titanic shipwreck in its Titan submersible. However, on June 18, 2023, contact with the Titan was lost during a mission to view the Titanic shipwreck. This article provides an in-depth look at the company's submersibles and the recent incident involving the Titan.
OceanGate's Submarines
OceanGate has designed several submersibles, each with unique specifications and capabilities. The company's fleet includes the Antipodes, Cyclops 1, and the Titan.
Let's take a quick overview of the developments of the OceanGate Submarines:
The progress of Weight(kg), Maximum Depth (meters) and Oxygen Supply Duration (hours) visualized:
Comparing the size of OceanGate's Submarines:
Data source: Wikipedia (opens in a new tab)
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Antipodes
The Antipodes submersible, acquired by OceanGate in 2012, is fitted with two large, 1.47 m-diameter hemispheric acrylic domes for visual observation and photography. The vessel is 4.5 m × 2.3 m × 2.4 m (L×W×H) and weighs 6,350 kg. It moves at up to 3 kn using six thrusters, and carries sufficient oxygen to sustain a full complement of five people for 72 hours.
Cyclops 1
Developed in collaboration with the University of Washington's Applied Physics Laboratory, the Cyclops 1 is a five-person submersible capable of reaching a maximum depth of 500 meters. The Cyclops 1 is 664 cm × 283 cm × 217 cm and weighs 9,075 kg with a maximum payload of 567 kg. It moves at up to 2.5 kn using four electric thrusters.
Titan
The Titan submersible, capable of reaching depths of 4,000 meters, was developed in collaboration with the University of Washington's Applied Physics Lab. The Titan is 670 cm × 280 cm × 250 cm and weighs 9,525 kg with a maximum payload of 685 kg. It moves at up to 3 kn using four electric thrusters. The vessel carries sufficient oxygen to sustain a full complement of five people for 96 hours.
The Titan Incident
On June 18, 2023, the Titan submersible, carrying an expedition of tourists to view the wreckage of RMS Titanic, went missing in the North Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Newfoundland. The incident is currently under investigation, and the last updates may not reflect the most current information.
Future Developments
Despite the recent incident, OceanGate continues to innovate in the field of underwater exploration. The company announced plans to develop the successor Cyclops 3 and Cyclops 4 submarines, targeting a maximum depth of 6,000 m.
For more detailed information, visit the OceanGate Wikipedia page (opens in a new tab).
References
- OceanGate, Inc. - Wikipedia (opens in a new tab)
- 2023 Titan submersible incident - Wikipedia (opens in a new tab)