Unveiling the Titan Submersible Implosion: Insights into a Catastrophic Event

 What Happened?

            On 18 June 2023, something tragic happened during a tourist expedition in the North Atlantic Ocean. The Titan, a submersible operated by OceanGate, suddenly collapsed while it was going down to see the Titanic wreck. Inside the submersible were five people: Stockton Rush, the CEO of OceanGate, Paul-Henri Nargeolet, a French deep-sea explorer and Titanic expert, Hamish Harding, a British businessman, Shahzada Dawood, a Pakistani-British businessman, and his son Suleman.

            Around 370 nautical miles off the coast of Newfoundland, Canada, the implosion occurred. Unfortunately, communication with the Titan was lost about 1 hour and 45 minutes into its dive. The authorities became aware when the submersible didn't come back up at the expected time later that day. After four days of searching, a remotely operated underwater vehicle (ROV) found wreckage from the Titan about 500 meters away from the front of the Titanic. The United States Navy's sonar detected a sound consistent with an implosion around the time contact was lost, indicating that the pressure hull collapsed while the Titan was descending. Sadly, this would have caused the instant deaths of everyone on board.

            The United States Coast Guard (USCG), United States Navy (USN), and Canadian Coast Guard led an international team in the search and rescue operation. They were supported by aircraft from the Royal Canadian Air Force and United States Air National Guard, a Royal Canadian Navy ship, as well as various commercial and research vessels and ROVs.

            Prior to this incident, there had been concerns raised by industry experts about the safety of the Titan. The executives at OceanGate, including Stockton Rush, had not pursued certification for the submersible. They argued that strict safety protocols limited their ability to innovate.

About Ocean Gate!

            OceanGate is a privately-owned company that was established in 2009 by Stockton Rush and Guillermo Söhnlein. Since 2010, the company has been providing transportation for customers who are willing to pay to explore underwater in rented commercial submersibles. These trips have taken place off the coasts of California, in the Gulf of Mexico, and in the Atlantic Ocean. The company's headquarters are located in Everett, Washington, in the United States.

            Stockton Rush realized that visiting sites where ships have sunk was a great way to capture the attention of the media. In the past, OceanGate has organized expeditions to various shipwrecks, such as their dive in 2016 to the wreckage of the Andrea Doria, which was carried out using their other submersible called Cyclops 1. Rush mentioned in a 2019 interview with Smithsonian magazine that there is one shipwreck that is universally recognized by everyone. When people think of something underwater, they often think of sharks, whales, and of course, the Titanic. OceanGate, the fearless guardian of oceanic mysteries, beckons intrepid souls to embark on exhilarating odysseys, forever etching their names in the annals of exploration. Dare to step into the embrace of the deep, where wonder and awe intertwine, guided by the trailblazers of OceanGate. Unleash your inner adventurer and join the chorus of discovery as you plunge into the extraordinary unknown. 

About Titanic!

            The Titanic was a large British passenger ship that sank in the North Atlantic Ocean on 15 April 1912. The sinking happened because the ship hit a big block of ice floating in the water, known as an iceberg. Sadly, over 1,500 people lost their lives in this tragic event, making it one of the deadliest shipwrecks in history at that time.

            In 1985, a marine scientist named Robert Ballard successfully found the location of the sunken Titanic on the ocean floor. The wreck was discovered approximately 400 nautical miles (740 km; 460 mi) away from the coast of Newfoundland. It rests at a depth of about 3,810 meters below the surface of the ocean.

            Since its discovery, the Titanic wreck has become a popular destination for both scientific research expeditions and tourism. Over the years, many people have visited the site to learn more about the ship and pay their respects. By the year 2012, which marked the 100th anniversary of the sinking, around 140 individuals had been able to visit the wreck site.

 

Reason for implosion

            On Sunday, it is believed that the hull of the Titan submersible collapsed due to the immense pressure of the surrounding water. The submersible was specifically designed to withstand such high pressure, so experts will now investigate what caused this unfortunate incident. Analyzing the debris from the submersible may provide valuable insights into understanding what went wrong.

            When the contact with Titan was lost, it is estimated that the submersible was located approximately 3,400 - 3,600 meters below the ocean surface. The depth was so extreme that the weight of the water above the submersible would have been equivalent to the weight of the Eiffel Tower, which is tens of thousands of tonnes.

            In the event of a rupture in the submersible's structure, the pressure outside the hull would have been significantly greater than the pressure inside, causing the vessel to compress under the force of the water.

 

What happens in Impulsion process?

            When a submarine hull collapses, it undergoes a rapid inward movement at an incredibly high speed. According to Dave Corley, a former US nuclear submarine officer, this inward movement occurs at about 1,400 MPH – 1600MPH .

            The complete collapse of the hull happens very quickly, taking only about one millisecond, or one thousandth of a second. In comparison, the instinctual response of a human brain to a stimulus typically takes around 25 milliseconds. Our rational response, from perceiving something to taking action, is generally believed to take about 150 milliseconds at best.

            Inside a submarine, there is a relatively high concentration of hydrocarbon vapors in the air. When the hull collapses, the air undergoes auto-ignition, resulting in an explosion following the initial rapid implosion, as explained by Mr. Corley. As a consequence of this catastrophic event, human bodies are instantly incinerated and reduced to ash and dust.