Titanic Tour Sub Missing. Remarks/Questions.

[HawkeyeLinus]

I know there are Navy and Coast Guard folks here and not trying to stir up a lot of speculation, but compared with a submarine (in a general and relative way, of course) and even those things Jacques Cousteau would get into, the controls and so forth on that little machine sure seemed pretty non-scientific and makes me wonder about the level of technical and mechanical sophistication. Seems like a toy, but maybe I'm way off base.

 

[karam]

Taking a risky ride in a leetle can that goes way down is conceptually no different than a risky ride in a leetle can that goes way up, and people have been doing that for 20+ years.

Space tourism | Companies, History, & Facts | Britannica

Space tourism, recreational space travel, either on established government-owned vehicles such as the Russian Soyuz and the International Space Station (ISS) or on vehicles fielded by private companies. Space tourism has gained new prominence as more opportunities have become available.

www.britannica.com

It's easier to walk on the moon than to walk on the ocean floor of the Challenger Deep

 

[Navy Chief]

I know there are Navy and Coast Guard folks here and not trying to stir up a lot of speculation, but compared with a submarine (in a general and relative way, of course) and even those things Jacques Cousteau would get into, the controls and so forth on that little machine sure seemed pretty non-scientific and makes me wonder about the level of technical and mechanical sophistication. Seems like a toy, but maybe I'm way off base.

Those were my thought seeing pictures of the vessel, there is no way I would get onboard that thing to descend to the depths they are going to.

 

[karam]

Whatever has happened to them i'm sure their hearts will go on

You're bad! You're so bad it's good!

 

[mso489]

From reports I've heard, it sounds like the submersible rides very low when it surfaces so might be extremely difficult to spot from the air or from surface craft.

Sonar is useful to a point, but they are at a site where the Titanic sank that includes parts and pieces. The submersible is about the size of a small truck.

I don't think the people can open the sub from inside. It is closed with lots of bolts and must be opened by people from the outside.

I'm not sure if the sub could take in air from the outside since it must be sealed tightly against the pressure at depths.

There is no radio communication with the sub. I think communications was by short texts until that went out about an hour after they started their descent.

One person who took a previous trip on this vehicle said there are no seats. You just sit inside on the deck/floor where ever you can.

The work will be staying very calm and breathing slowly as you can. It might help sonar location if they hit the sides of the craft with a metal object.

On the thoughts and prayers theme, the Navy Hymn comes to mind.

 

[mingc]

The two brothers who lived across the street from me until a month ago would have no worries. No scuba gear necessary for them to dive to ANY depth. One gulp of air and they'd be ready to go. I bet their lungs could hold 50,000 psi, no problem.

One was four years old, the other six.

How do I know? Their yelling stripped the paint off cars at thirty feet, and could shatter glass at a hundred. In fact, some NASA techs showed up to try to measure the SPL and their instruments exploded.

Troubles with Dennis and his pal Joey eh, Mr. Wilson?

 

[JOHN72]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but the cost of a few rides in that marine hell, is 230 thousand dollars? You have to be very brave to get into that can and go down 3000 meters deep. I would not dare. I pray that they come out safe and sound. My God, poor guys.

 

[warren]

It's, from what little I know of it, is a far cry from any submarine that immediately comes to mind. It's a very specialized tool, not a tool of war. This vessel goes down and up. I'm not even sure it has much ability to move other than ascent/descent. Very simple and, from it's record, extremely well constructed and properly equipped. Numerous successful trips up and down would certainly indicate such. Ballast control is fairly simple I would suppose, water in, water out. Even an "emergency" ascent from great depth would be slow and carefully controlled. Unless someone here has intimate knowledge of the craft, we are all pissing in the wind with our observations/supposition(s) as to construction and operation. Well, other than the basic application of some even more basic science with regard to pressure and effects on alien intruders into the great depths.

Such travel, like most anything, is usually very safe until ... something major or minor, goes horribly wrong. Really no different than people paying for a frivolous ride into space. Weigh the risks, access the reward then make a decision. If you really want the experience, you must take the risk.

I would have loved being able to speak with the "tourists" before the dive to learn what drove them to do it. Was it just a "jaunt"? Was there something about themselves they wished to learn? Did they have a serious "hobbyists" interest in the Titanic? Perhaps they will survive and I'll learn the answer. Just curious as to the thought process.

 

[bullet08]

If JonBenet Ramsey had been a kid living in a trailer park in Commerce City instead of a beautiful rich kid from an upscale Boulder neighborhood she never would have made it past the local news for one night if it even got that much. People are fascinated by the fact that rich and successful suffer the same as everybody else.

And beautiful. That kid was a beautiful little child. That pulls heartstring like nothing else.

 

[georged]

Sorry guys, we're all mistaken about depth, pressure, vehicles, and so forth.

Even you Navy guys.

Turns out there are literally large scale factories seven miles down. Dorms, cafeterias, you name it. All the conveniences of a city on land.

And the hazard is nothing to do with oxygen, pressure at depth, or any of that...

It's giant, fast-moving squid-monsters that get upset because humans won't let them SLEEP:

 

[briarbuck]

I do find it ironic that they were on a trip to see the final resting place of thousands, not knowing they actually were the ones on their final voyage.

 

[lraisch]

My understanding is that the submersible was constructed from carbon fiber and two titanium hemispheres with a modified video game controller and four electric motors for vertical and horizontal propulsion.

I'm not an engineer or a materials scientist, but I wonder what the effect of temperature and pressure at those depths would be on carbon fiber.

 

[huntertrw]

The wreck of the RMS Titanic is a mass-grave site; leave it alone!

 

[OverMountain]

To find a root cause, you really have to ask “why” about 5 times.

There will be so many engineering, policy, and human factors issues that contributed to this (likely) tragedy.

There’s too much to unpack here, and in a court of inquiry there will be many gallons of ink spilled.

My hope is that in the future, the lessons learned will be used to improve deep sea exploration and rescue in the same way that “Challenger”, “Tenerife”, and “Air France” have contributed to aeronautical safety.

 

[ashdigger]

It’s my understanding this wasn’t the first glitch this sub had.

 

[warren]

There was a termination, then a law suit by the former employee. Apparently there was a disagreement regarding the observation glass. At least that's the "click bait" from the news orgs.

 

[warren]

I do find it ironic that they were on a trip to see the final resting place of thousands,

A handful over 1500 souls lost. Many bodies recovered. No one has any idea how many were entombed in the wreckage.

 

[Briar Lee]

The only real chance of rescue, is the submersible is on or the near the surface, and has lost communications.

The five passengers are bolted in, and cannot escape without help.

If by some small chance they are snagged down at the bottom there are only a handful of subs that can dive 12,500 feet to find them. They can’t transfer the passengers. The only chance would be to hook the submersible and bring them up.

The site is 400 miles out at sea.

It’s bleak, indeed.

 

[woodsroad]

There was a termination, then a law suit by the former employee. Apparently there was a disagreement regarding the observation glass. At least that's the "click bait" from the news orgs.

The concern of the employee in question is real:

OceanGate, company behind missing Titanic tourist sub, once subject of lawsuit over safety complaints

OceanGate once faced a lawsuit from a former employee who alleged they were fired for raising safety concerns about the vessel that went missing while descending to the Titanic.

www.foxbusiness.com

 

[warren]

So write the "news" agencies. The lawsuit(s) only covered termination justification. I've not seen any reporting with regard to the disposition of the case nor the validity of the allegations. So, incomplete story makes it "click bait" in my mind. I want to see the conclusions. And, were the dismissal allegations addressed by the manufacturer at a later date. Way too little information, in my opinion, to draw any conclusion as to how the suit is important to the condition of the vessel yesterday.

I dearly love it if news agencies would revert back to "who, what, when, where and why" rather than "what makes people click?" I know ... I know, clicks sell ads.