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That Titanic submersible
cabbles
Posts: 15,271
Couldn’t see a thread on this. Terrible for those people on board, I hope they are able to rescue them. as much as people have an interest in certain things, and the money to pay for it, I find it simply insane people would put themselves in that situation
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It’s a tragic case and at that depth and pressure it is effectively an impossible scenario to launch a rescue. Even if they are found in the next 40 hours.
the best hope is that they are in the surface somewhere. The sub can manually jettison ballast even in event of total loss of power to float back to the surface. The fact they haven’t suggests they either can’t due to being stuck or suffered a catastrophic failure.1 -
If you look online you will see how absolutely insane the whole thing is.
The internal lighting was from a camping shop, the whole thing was controlled by a gaming controller, the sub was basically held together with gaffer tape.
Incredibly sad for the people in it, amd their families but the people that built it/own it need locking up IMO. It was like trying to fly to the moon in an old washing up liquid bottle.8 -
I can’t see a happy ending to this one.4
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It’s inconceivable to imagine the pressure down there. One of the Brian Cox episodes in one of his series (can’t remember which one) gave a good depiction when he took an empty water bottle with him very high up a mountain and showed what it looked like as it descended with the air pressure, starting to contract.DamoNorthStand said:It’s a tragic case and at that depth and pressure it is effectively an impossible scenario to launch a rescue. Even if they are found in the next 40 hours.
the best hope is that they are in the surface somewhere. The sub can manually jettison ballast even in event of total loss of power to float back to the surface. The fact they haven’t suggests they either can’t due to being stuck or suffered a catastrophic failure.2 -
Tragic situation but it’s a classic case of people having more money than sense. Can’t see why people would put themselves (and in one case their son) in such a dangerous situation in what looks like a very Heath Robinson contraption.13
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the draw and mystique of the Titanic I can see as a strong pull for the individuals who can afford to see it. It's not really that different to the draw of going to space really is it? The risks certainly are
Fingers crossed all are ok.2 -
On the same day, 43 people were murdered at a school in Uganda. It's had very few lines compared to this story. Had it happened in the west the missing sub wouldn’t be making the headlines.
Of course it's awful for the families and i hope they are found. Sadly news is ALL about clicks.
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Reports that banging noises have been picked up.1
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Hearing about the tapping makes this potentially even more terrifying. Being trapped miles under water in the cold and dark. I can’t even imagine what’s going through their minds.3
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Was thinking the same. Think I'd sooner it implode and it to be over instantly, than days stuck in it waiting for the inevitable. Fingers crossed, but hearing noises will mean nothing if they can't get an exact location and effect a rescue in the next 24 hoursDamoNorthStand said:Hearing about the tapping makes this potentially even more terrifying. Being trapped miles under water in the cold and dark. I can’t even imagine what’s going through their minds.0 -
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really hope they can be found and rescued, but my sympathy levels for people this stupid to go down there are in pretty short supply1
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I cant understand how, what seems such a ramshackle outfit can operate something so dangerous as this, and that people would pay such a ridiculous price. I read that another Brit was booked to go on this trip, but cancelled when he saw that scaffolding poles were used for ballast, and that a games controller was used to control it.
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Play stupid games, win stupid prizes.
Hope they're found safe and well but echo the questioning of such activities.9 -
Not sure what the point of going down there even is. If you're close to the wreck you'll be seeing it through six inch thick glass if the thing even has windows, otherwise on a video screen, in which case why not just watch it from the safety of the boat on the surface with beer and snacks?9
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You wonder who'd spend the best part of £200k to spend 8 hours in a small tube, listening to others answer the call of nature behind a curtain, only to then take it in turns to look through small porthole at the rusted wreck of the Titanic. Sooner save the money, avoid the risk and watch it on a TV screen myself.
All that said and as above. Really hope they're rescued1 -
Those people must be terrified. Hope this ends well.1
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Completely agree. The sub hasn't been approved by any sort of regulatory body (even if one exists). I read that the "passengers" had to sign a disclaimer that even mentioned potential death...Hal1x said:I cant understand how, what seems such a ramshackle outfit can operate something so dangerous as this, and that people would pay such a ridiculous price. I read that another Brit was booked to go on this trip, but cancelled when he saw that scaffolding poles were used for ballast, and that a games controller was used to control it.1 -
Like many activities of the type - it’s so they can say that they did it, rather than the actual enjoyment of doing it.Gribbo said:You wonder who'd spend the best part of £200k to spend 8 hours in a small tube, listening to others answer the call of nature behind a curtain, only to then take it in turns to look through small porthole at the rusted wreck of the Titanic. Sooner save the money, avoid the risk and watch it on a TV screen myself.
All that said and as above. Really hope they're rescued9 -
I can understand why people would want to see The Titanic for themselves but the cost is frankly obscene and anyone thinking of spending just shy of £200k for the trip needs a talking to. Let’s hope this ends with everyone safe. Who picks up the bill for this monumental rescue effort ? The people with more money than sense on the submersible? I doubt it. In the mean time people across the globe are starving and can’t get fresh water or food.5
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Not sure if there's an obvious reason why they haven't, but surely they should've had some sort of device that gives off a rough, or even exact location? If the Canadian Navy can detect banging underwater, would've though purpose made transmitters / receivers would go somewhere near making it possible? Reckon going off into the abyss, completely untraceable is another huge question mark
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Yeah I do understand it, but given the cost + risk = a glimpse through a tiny porthole, I personally can't level it with other "dangerous" experiences like going up Everest for example. But then I'm the same with space tourism and even going up in a hot air balloon lolcafctom said:
Like many activities of the type - it’s so they can say that they did it, rather than the actual enjoyment of doing it.Gribbo said:You wonder who'd spend the best part of £200k to spend 8 hours in a small tube, listening to others answer the call of nature behind a curtain, only to then take it in turns to look through small porthole at the rusted wreck of the Titanic. Sooner save the money, avoid the risk and watch it on a TV screen myself.
All that said and as above. Really hope they're rescued0 -
Absolutely, and that's why planes, boats etc all DO have transmitters etc and can be tracked nearly instantaneously 99.99% of the time. But because this is a non regulated, private exercise no-one exists to tell them they HAVE to put tracking in and whether through arrogance, cost cutting or just plain lack of thought they didn't do it, it may very well have cost lives.Gribbo said:Not sure if there's an obvious reason why they haven't, but surely they should've had some sort of device that gives off a rough, or even exact location? If the Canadian Navy can detect banging underwater, would've though purpose made transmitters / receivers would go somewhere near making it possible? Reckon going off into the abyss, completely untraceable is another huge question mark
If there's any positive to be found its that any future such expeditions etc will be much more closely watched/regulated1 -
Agree but at least hot air balloons are a very long established form of transport. Deep sea submersibles are still really cutting edge stuff. Not something I’d do if you paid me never mind paying for.Gribbo said:
Yeah I do understand it, but given the cost + risk = a glimpse through a tiny porthole, I personally can't level it with other "dangerous" experiences like going up Everest for example. But then I'm the same with space tourism and even going up in a hot air balloon lolcafctom said:
Like many activities of the type - it’s so they can say that they did it, rather than the actual enjoyment of doing it.Gribbo said:You wonder who'd spend the best part of £200k to spend 8 hours in a small tube, listening to others answer the call of nature behind a curtain, only to then take it in turns to look through small porthole at the rusted wreck of the Titanic. Sooner save the money, avoid the risk and watch it on a TV screen myself.
All that said and as above. Really hope they're rescued1 -
If you read into it, from an engineering perspective it was a disaster waiting to happen, they haven’t really got any fail safe systems like electromagnetically deployable ballasts in case of power failure, they can’t even open the hatch from the inside, they could be in the surface unable to escape.Gribbo said:Not sure if there's an obvious reason why they haven't, but surely they should've had some sort of device that gives off a rough, or even exact location? If the Canadian Navy can detect banging underwater, would've thought purpose made transmitters / receivers would go somewhere near making it possible? Reckon going off into the abyss, completely untraceable is another huge question mark
if they do rescue them, CEO should be taken to court.
edit: some quotes from an engineer fired for raising safety concerns whilst working for the company in 2019
“It was highlighted that Titan’s forward viewport only certified it to a depth of 1,300 metres.”
For reference, The Titanic wreck lies 3,800 metres below the ocean surface.
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Has anyone tried to get hold of Aquaman? Surely he can help2
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Really feel that this isn't going to end well, in fact could already be too late, apparently they could have floated to the surface already, and currently see the outside world, but can not escape from inside, this is a totally unsafe and dangerous vehicle.
With all this, my thoughts and prayers go out to them in the hope against hope that help will reach them, but what a terrible situation this is...7 -
My logic re' hot air balloons, is that the technology has remained the same since they were first invented. Okay you might have GPS etc now, but you're still essentially at the mercy of the wind and where it wants to take youShootersHillGuru said:
Agree but at least hot air balloons are a very long established form of transport. Deep sea submersibles are still really cutting edge stuff. Not something I’d do if you paid me never mind paying for.Gribbo said:
Yeah I do understand it, but given the cost + risk = a glimpse through a tiny porthole, I personally can't level it with other "dangerous" experiences like going up Everest for example. But then I'm the same with space tourism and even going up in a hot air balloon lolcafctom said:
Like many activities of the type - it’s so they can say that they did it, rather than the actual enjoyment of doing it.Gribbo said:You wonder who'd spend the best part of £200k to spend 8 hours in a small tube, listening to others answer the call of nature behind a curtain, only to then take it in turns to look through small porthole at the rusted wreck of the Titanic. Sooner save the money, avoid the risk and watch it on a TV screen myself.
All that said and as above. Really hope they're rescued0 -
Isn't the CEO down there with them?LTKapal said:
If you read into it, from an engineering perspective it was a disaster waiting to happen, they haven’t really got any fail safe systems like electromagnetically deployable ballasts in case of power failure, they can’t even open the hatch from the inside, they could be in the surface unable to escape.Gribbo said:Not sure if there's an obvious reason why they haven't, but surely they should've had some sort of device that gives off a rough, or even exact location? If the Canadian Navy can detect banging underwater, would've thought purpose made transmitters / receivers would go somewhere near making it possible? Reckon going off into the abyss, completely untraceable is another huge question mark
if they do rescue them, CEO should be taken to court.
edit: some quotes from an engineer fired for raising safety concerns whilst working for the company in 2019
“It was highlighted that Titan’s forward viewport only certified it to a depth of 1,300 metres.”
For reference, The Titanic wreck lies 3,800 metres below the ocean surface.1 -
The other thing that hasn't been mentioned is battery life. Surely they will be out of power soon so can't communicate anyway.0
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Yeah, read that. Unbelievable negligence tbhLTKapal said:
If you read into it, from an engineering perspective it was a disaster waiting to happen, they haven’t really got any fail safe systems like electromagnetically deployable ballasts in case of power failure, they can’t even open the hatch from the inside, they could be in the surface unable to escape.Gribbo said:Not sure if there's an obvious reason why they haven't, but surely they should've had some sort of device that gives off a rough, or even exact location? If the Canadian Navy can detect banging underwater, would've thought purpose made transmitters / receivers would go somewhere near making it possible? Reckon going off into the abyss, completely untraceable is another huge question mark
if they do rescue them, CEO should be taken to court.
edit: some quotes from an engineer fired for raising safety concerns whilst working for the company in 2019
“It was highlighted that Titan’s forward viewport only certified it to a depth of 1,300 metres.”
For reference, The Titanic wreck lies 3,800 metres below the ocean surface.0
