Talk to someone who went on previous trips on the Titan submersible and they’re likely to mention a technology glitch. The propulsion system failed or the communications with people on the surface cut out. They are also likely to mention Stockton Rush. He’s the OceanGate Expeditions CEO who died this week on the sub. Rush has been described as both a meticulous planner and an overconfident pioneer. In the wake of the Titan’s fatal implosion Sunday near the Titanic shipwreck, some passengers from previous expeditions described concerning experiences that foreshadowed the tragedy. Still, others felt they were in “good hands” deep below the ocean’s surface.
I was watching some videos about Victor Vescovo, another rich businessman who dives to the very deepest parts of the ocean (three times deeper than the Titanic, in some cases). He uses this submersible:
https://tritonsubs.com/subs/t36000-2/
Looking at that, it is very obviously the product of a lot of thoughtful design, expertise in materials and engineering, and rigorous testing and certification processes.
Perhaps OceanGate couldn’t afford one of these submersibles. Stockton Rush seems to have been concerned with cutting costs where he could. But everyone in the industry knew that the OceanGate submersible was not fit for purpose, and Rush was warned repeatedly, but he thought he knew better than them and could do it cheaply with unconventional materials and no certification process. Turns out, he was wrong.
