Titan (submersible)

Titan
Titan in a promotional image published by OceanGate before 2023
History
NameTitan
OwnerOceanGate, Inc.
Operator OceanGate, Inc.
Completed2018
FateImploded on 18 June 2023 (1 years ago)
General characteristics
Class and typeUnclassed submersible
Displacement
Length6.7 m (22 ft)[1]
Beam2.8 m (9 ft 2 in)
Height2.5 m (8 ft 2 in)
Propulsion4 × Innerspace 1002 electric thrusters
Speed3 knots (5.6 km/h) (max)
Endurance96 hours (w/ 5 people)
Test depthUp to 4,000 m (13,000 ft)
Capacity5 people
Crew1 pilot, 1 technical expert, 3 passengers

Titan, previously named Cyclops 2, was a submersible created and operated by the American underwater-tourism company OceanGate. It was the first privately-owned submersible with a claimed maximum depth of 4,000 m (13,000 ft),[2] and the first completed crewed submersible with a hull constructed of titanium and carbon fiber composite materials.[3]

After testing with dives to its maximum intended depth in 2018 and 2019, the original composite hull of Titan developed fatigue damage and was replaced by 2021.[4][5] In that year, OceanGate began transporting paying customers to the wreck of the Titanic,[6][7] completing several dives to the wreck site in 2021 and 2022. During the submersible's first 2023 expedition, all five occupants were killed when the vessel imploded. OceanGate lost contact with Titan on 18 June and contacted authorities later that day after the submersible was overdue for return. A massive international search and rescue operation ensued and ended on 22 June, when debris from Titan was discovered about 1,600 feet (500 metres) from the bow of the Titanic.

  1. ^ "Titan Submersible". oceangate.com. 21 June 2023. Archived from the original on 21 June 2023. Retrieved 24 June 2023.
  2. ^ Dean, Josh (7 September 2017). "It's Brutal to Get to the Ocean's Depths. This Minisub Will Take You There". Bloomberg Businessweek. Archived from the original on 26 June 2023. Retrieved 26 June 2023.
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference CW2017 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference GW2020-01 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ Cite error: The named reference TC2023 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ Cite error: The named reference Smithsonian2019 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  7. ^ "OceanGate sub makes first dive to Titanic wreck site and captures photos of debris". GeekWire. 13 July 2021. Archived from the original on 19 June 2023. Retrieved 19 April 2022.