Titan submersible likely imploded due to shape, carbon fiber: Scientists
- Researchers suggest the material and shape of Titan were issues
- The cylindrical vessel was made of carbon fiber and titanium
- Experts had expressed fears over safety before implosion
Steph Whiteside
Updated: MAY 2, 2024 / 09:10 AM CDT
(
NewsNation) — Researchers at the University of Houston believe
they have deciphered what caused the
Titan submersible to implode while on a dive to the Titanic.
The submersible, owned by OceanGate Expeditions, lost contact with a support vessel as it began a journey to the wreck of the doomed ocean liner. That kicked off a
multi-day search effort to try to find the submersible before
oxygen supplies would run out for the five people on board.
At the end of the search, however, the U.S. Coast Guard determined that the vessel suffered a
catastrophic implosion that would have killed all on board instantly.
Debris from the submersible was recovered from the ocean floor for investigators but the questions about the cause of the implosion.
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In a paper in the
Proceedings of the National Academy of Science, researchers shared the result of computer simulations to suggest that the submersible’s shape and the material used to build it could have led to the disaster.
Most submersibles are spherical, allowing pressure to be evenly distributed around them, while the Titan was a cylindrical vessel to allow more space for passengers. While a perfectly shaped cylinder could withstand large amounts of pressure, imperfections in its shape could lead to uneven pressure distribution that could cause the walls to buckle.
This photo provided by OceanGate Expeditions shows a submersible vessel named Titan used to visit the wreckage site of the Titanic. In a race against the clock on the high seas, an expanding international armada of ships and airplanes searched Tuesday, June 20, 2023, for the submersible that vanished in the North Atlantic while taking five people down to the wreck of the Titanic. (OceanGate Expeditions via AP)Read More »
FILE – This undated image provided by OceanGate Expeditions in June 2021 shows the company’s Titan submersible. OceanGate, the company that owned the submersible that fatally imploded on its way to explore the wreck of the Titanic said Thursday, July 6, 2023 it has suspended operations. (OceanGate Expeditions via AP, File)Read More »
This photo provided by OceanGate Expeditions shows a submersible vessel named Titan used to visit the wreckage site of the Titanic. In a race against the clock on the high seas, an expanding international armada of ships and airplanes searched Tuesday, June 20, 2023, for the submersible that vanished in the North Atlantic while taking five people down to the wreck of the Titanic. (OceanGate Expeditions via AP)Read More »
A boat with the OceanGate logo is parked on a lot near the OceanGate offices Thursday, June 22, 2023, in Everett, Wash. The U.S. Coast Guard said Thursday that the missing submersible Titan imploded near the Titanic shipwreck site, killing everyone on board. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)Read More »
This photo provided by OceanGate Expeditions shows a submersible vessel named Titan used to visit the wreckage site of the Titanic. In a race against the clock on the high seas, an expanding international armada of ships and airplanes searched Tuesday, June 20, 2023, for the submersible that vanished in the North Atlantic while taking five people down to the wreck of the Titanic. (OceanGate Expeditions via AP)Read More »
FILE – This undated image provided by OceanGate Expeditions in June 2021 shows the company’s Titan submersible. OceanGate, the company that owned the submersible that fatally imploded on its way to explore the wreck of the Titanic said Thursday, July 6, 2023 it has suspended operations. (OceanGate Expeditions via AP, File)Read More »
FILE – This undated image provided by OceanGate Expeditions in June 2021 shows the company’s Titan submersible. OceanGate, the company that owned the submersible that fatally imploded on its way to explore the wreck of the Titanic said Thursday, July 6, 2023 it has suspended operations. (OceanGate Expeditions via AP, File)Read More »
The submersible was also constructed with carbon fiber and titanium, rather than just titanium or steel, which could have played a role. Carbon fiber is strong but subject to more wear and tear than titanium or steel. Any weakness in the material could have been enough to cause an implosion.
Did the Titan crew ever reach the Titanic site?
The conclusions are in line with
theories put forth by experts at the time of the disaster, who noted that OceanGate
touted its innovative designs which were a departure from the standard choices for deep-sea exploration.
Some
who had been on the Titan or who had turned down opportunities to join a journey had expressed
safety concerns, as had engineers working for the company and
deep-sea diving experts.
OceansGate suspended operations after the implosion.
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