The RMS Titanic was a British passenger liner operated by the White Star Line that sank in the North Atlantic Ocean on April 15, 1912 after striking an iceberg during her maiden voyage from Southampton, England to New York City. Over 1,500 of the 2,224 passengers and crew onboard lost their lives in one of the deadliest peacetime maritime disasters in history. The wreck of the Titanic lays on the seafloor approximately 370 miles south of Newfoundland, Canada at a depth of 12,500 feet. Given the extreme depth, visiting and exploring the wreck site presents major technical challenges. Remotely operated underwater vehicles were used to first locate and photograph the wreck in 1985, but it was not until 2005 that the first manned submersible carried out a series of dives to conduct detailed mapping and filming of the wreck site over 12 days. So can a submarine actually go to the Titanic wreck? The short answer is yes, with the right submarine and support vessels. However, there are many factors to consider given the extreme depth and location far out in the North Atlantic.
Technical challenges of reaching the Titanic wreck
Reaching the Titanic wreck site at 12,500 feet below the surface of the North Atlantic presents a number of major technical hurdles:
- Extreme depth – The pressure at 12,500 feet is over 5,750 psi, requiring a specially engineered pressure hull capable of withstanding the immense force. There are only 5 manned submersibles in the world rated for this depth.
- Life support systems – Oxygen supplies, CO2 scrubbing, thermal regulation are critical for multi-hour dives.
- Underwater navigation and lighting – High precision navigation aids and lighting are required to inspect the wreck in pitch black waters.
- Tether management – The umbilical tether relays power, communications, hot water supply and must be carefully managed.
- Propulsion power – Thrusters must provide enough power to overcome currents while maintaining precise control.
- Sonar imaging – High resolution sonar creates a map of the site and aids in collision avoidance.
- Ballast and buoyancy – The sub must be able to finely adjust its weight while descending and ascending.
- Life support for crew – Protection from hypothermia and safety systems allow for extended dive times.
Overcoming these challenges requires a specially engineered deep diving submarine with robust life support systems, propulsion, and navigational capabilities. Additionally, the lengthy transit to the site over 350 nautical miles from Newfoundland and long dive times require a dedicated surface support ship.
Deep diving submarines capable of reaching the Titanic
There are only 5 manned submersibles in the world capable of diving to the depth of the Titanic wreck:
- Deepsea Challenger
- DSV Limiting Factor
- Triton 36000/2
- Nautile
- Mir
Let’s take a closer look at the capabilities of each submarine:
Deepsea Challenger
- Reached deepest point on Earth’s seabed, Challenger Deep
- 3 person crew
- Maximum depth: 36,000 feet
- Crush depth: 16,000 psi
- Life support: 90 hours
- Propulsion: Electric thrusters
- Sonar: Multi-beam sonar
Filmmaker James Cameron dove solo to the deepest point on Earth, the Challenger Deep, in 2012 in the Deepsea Challenger submersible. While it does not currently reside at the Titanic site, it has proven capabilities for repeat visits.
DSV Limiting Factor
- Owned by Caladan Oceanic
- 2 person crew
- Maximum depth: 36,000 feet
- Crush depth: 16,000 psi
- Life Support: 96 hours
- Propulsion: Electric thrusters
- Sonar: Multi-beam sonar
The Limiting Factor made the first manned dives to the deepest point in each of the world’s five oceans in 2019 with explorer Victor Vescovo. It is the most advanced civilian submersible and has already carried out five dives to the Titanic wreck.
Triton 36000/2
- 3 person crew
- Maximum depth: 36,000 feet
- Crush depth: 16,000 psi
- Life support: 10 days
- Propulsion: Electric thrusters
- Sonar: Multi-beam sonar
This Triton submersible was used for early exploration of the Titanic wreck in the 1990s. Its robust life support system enabled multi-day missions on site. It is owned by Phoenix International and requires a surface ship with a mating cradle to launch.
Nautile
- Operated by IFREMER in France
- 3 person crew
- Maximum depth: 20,000 feet
- Crush depth: 10,000 psi
- Life support: 72 hours
- Propulsion: Electric thrusters
- Sonar: Multi-beam sonar
The Nautile submersible was used by RMS Titanic Inc. in the 1990s to conduct a detailed survey of the wreck site. While it can not reach the seabed itself at 12,500 feet, its agility was useful in studying the debris field.
Mir
- Operated by the Russian Academy of Sciences
- 3 person crew
- Maximum depth: 20,000 feet
- Crush depth: 10,000 psi
- Life support: 120 hours
- Propulsion: Electric thrusters
- Sonar: Multi-beam sonar
The veteran Mir submersible was used by RMS Titanic Inc. to conduct the first manned survey of the wreck in 1986. Mir enabled the first glimpses of the broken ship and scattered debris on the seabed.
Surface ships supporting Titanic exploration
Reaching the Titanic wreck site requires more than just a capable deep diving submersible. There must also be a dedicated surface ship that provides:
- A safe and stable platform from which to deploy the submarine
- Power, navigation, and communications relay with the sub
- Supplies for extended missions offshore
- Crew quarters and amenities
- Equipment maintenance and repair facilities
- Potentially a submersible launch and recovery cradle
Some ships that have supported Titanic exploration include:
- Horizon Explorer – Research vessel for RMS Titanic Inc. in the 1990s
- Nadir – French research vessel, deployed Nautile submersible
- Keldysh – Russian scientific research vessel, used Mir submersible
- Atlantis – Owned by Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute, deployed Alvin
- Seamore Explorer – Chartered by Caladan Oceanic for the Limiting Factor
Having the necessary surface support is just as critical as the right deep diving submarine to reach the wreck. The ships must transit across hundreds of miles of open North Atlantic ocean in sometimes harsh conditions to remain on station during dive operations.
Manned missions to the Titanic wreck
While remotely operated vehicles first found and photographed the wreck in 1985, it took until July 1986 for the first manned mission to arrive at the wreck aboard Mir. Here is a timeline of the major manned expeditions to the Titanic wreck site:
| Year | Submersible(s) | Expedition Details |
|---|---|---|
| 1986 | Mir 1 and Mir 2 | First manned survey, used sonar and camera to inspect debris |
| 1991 | Nautile | Conducted detailed photomosaic of bow and stern sections |
| 1995 | Nautile and Mir | Focused on smaller debris field around wreck |
| 1996 | Nautile | Retrieved over 800 artifacts from debris field |
| 2005 | Mir | 3D high resolution sonar map of entire site |
| 2012 | Deepsea Challenger | James Cameron solo dive to record IMAX footage |
| 2019 | Limiting Factor | Caladan Oceanic high definition 4K video survey |
These complex technical missions spanning over 30 years have gradually revealed the secrets of the wreck through photography, sonar mapping, and direct observation by the few humans fortunate enough to visit in person.
Conclusions
Visiting the wreck of the RMS Titanic 12,500 feet down in the frigid North Atlantic represents an immense challenge requiring specialized deep diving submersibles with advanced engineering, navigation and life support systems. Only a handful of manned submersibles worldwide exist that are up to the task. Critical life support capabilities including oxygen, thermal regulation, communications, lighting and propulsion must all function flawlessly over the 4+ hour dive. The chosen submersible must descend safely through pitch black waters into extreme pressure conditions that could crush most submarines. Arriving at the wreck site, careful navigation and positioning are required to comprehensively survey and document the debris field. Throughout the lengthy offshore expeditions, a capable surface support ship provides the necessary platform for the submersible and support crew. Manned submersibles paired with skilled crews have been critical in unlocking the enduring mysteries of the Titanic wreck site. Advancements in submersible technology will enable even more access and research in the challenging depths for future expeditions.