In the first commercial mission to the Titanic wreckage site since last year’s OceanGate implosion killed five people, a group of scientists, historians and imaging experts set sail from Rhode Island on Friday, July 12. The team with the U.S. company RMS Titanic Inc. hopes to gather the most detailed photographic record ever made of the Titanic’s remains.
Two robotic vehicles will reportedly dive to the bottom of the ocean to capture millions of high-resolution images and to make a 3D model of all the debris within the Titanic’s wreckage. As part of the reconnaissance mission, every single part of the vessel will be scanned to gain new insights into the lives of passengers, the ship’s ornate items within and further details about the ship’s ultimate demise.
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Researchers will review the state of some well-known objects among the debris, such as boilers that spilled out as the streamliner broke in half after it hit an iceberg and a cast iron plate of a Steinway grand piano. They also hope to gather some of the passengers’ possessions, like bags, to help tell the stories of people aboard the ship, providing more context than just a name to a victim.
One of the five people who died during the OceanGate tragedy held the position of director of research for the company, which owns exclusive salvage rights to the liner. A plaque honoring him will be placed on the seabed during the operation.
This mission will be the company’s ninth visit to the wreckage. It confirmed the group will not be using manned submersibles on the mission but will spend 20 days on a ship above the wreck.
The corporation has drawn criticism for removing items from the ship. In total, 5,500 items from the ship were removed to date. Critics say that the Titanic is a gravesite for the 1,500 people who died that night in 1912 and should remain untouched.
However, company researchers argue that just letting “her passengers and crew be lost to history would be the biggest tragedy of all.”
[LAUREN TAYLOR]
A GROUP OF SCIENTISTS, HISTORIANS AND IMAGING EXPERTS ARE GETTING SET TO VISIT THE SITE OF THE TITANIC.
IT’S THE FIRST COMMERCIAL MISSION TO THE WRECKAGE SINCE LAST YEAR’S DEADLY OCEANGATE TRAGEDY.
THIS TRIP’S FOCUS ISN’T TOURISM.
RATHER – THEY HOPE TO GATHER THE MOST DETAILED PHOTOGRAPHIC RECORD EVER MADE OF THE TITANIC’S REMAINS.
TWO ROBOTIC VEHICLES WILL DIVE TO THE BOTTOM OF THE OCEAN– CAPTURING MILLIONS OF HIGH-RESOLUTION PICTURES.
THEY ALSO PLAN TO MAKE A 3-D MODEL OF ALL THE DEBRIS.
EVERY SINGLE PART OF THE VESSEL WILL BE SCANNED TO GAIN NEW INSIGHT INTO THE LIVES OF PASSENGERS, IT’S ORNATE ITEMS AND FURTHER DETAILS ABOUT ITS ULTIMATE DEMISE.
RESEARCHERS WILL REVIEW THE STATE OF SOME WELL-KNOWN OBJECTS AMONG THE DEBRIS. LIKE THE BOILERS THAT SPILLED OUT AS THE STEAMLINER BROKE IN HALF AND THE CAST IRON PLATE OF A STEINWAY GRAND PIANO.
THEY ALSO HOPE TO GATHER SOME OF THE PASSENGERS’ POSSESSIONS, LIKE BAGS, WHICH WILL HELP TELL THE STORIES OF PEOPLE ABOARD THE DOOMED SHIP.
THE VOYAGE WILL TAKE AROUND 20 DAYS.
THE EXPEDITION IS BEING SPEARHEADED BY U-S COMPANY R-M-S TITANIC INCORPORATED.
ONE OF THE FIVE PEOPLE WHO DIED DURING THE OCEANGATE MISSION HELD THE POSITION OF DIRECTOR OF RESEARCH FOR COMPANY – WHICH OWNS EXCLUSIVE SALVAGE RIGHTS TO THE LINER. A PLAQUE HONORING HIM WILL BE PLACED ON THE SEABED DURING THE OPERATION.
THIS WILL BE THE COMPANY’S NINTH VISIT TO THE WRECKAGE.
THEY’VE CONFIRMED THEY WILL NOT BE USING MANNED SUBMERSIBLES ON THE MISSION – BUT WILL SPEND 20 DAYS ON A SHIP ABOVE THE WRECK.
THE CORPORATION HAS DRAWN CRITICISM FOR REMOVING ITEMS FROM THE SHIP. 55-HUNDRED ITEMS TO DATE.
CRITICS SAY THE TITANIC IS A GRAVESITE FOR 15-HUNDRED PEOPLE WHO DIED THAT NIGHT IN 1912 AND SHOULD REMAIN UNTOUCHED.
BUT COMPANY RESEARCHERS ARGUE JUST LETTING “HER PASSENGERS AND CREW BE LOST TO HISTORY WOULD BE THE BIGGEST TRAGEDY OF ALL.”
FOR MORE STORIES ON THE VOYAGE TO THE TITANIC WRECKAGE– DOWNLOAD THE STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS APP OR VISIT OUR WEBSITE AT SAN.COM.
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