Titanic tourist submersible goes missing

[Michelle]

Jun 20, 2023 9:08:04 GMT -5 sent said:

The ocean is a terrifying place. How are there no regulations for what kinds of vehicles can go underwater especially going 2 miles underwater!

Regulations usually develop in reaction to stuff. Most people don't have access to the kind of engineering needed to go 2 miles underwater, so there is no need to regulate it. It's kind of... self-regulating via the Darwin award nomination potential.

[wawa]

Jun 20, 2023 10:47:13 GMT -5 ssmjlm said:

DH has been following this and last night he was like "oh yeah and it's homemade" and I was just like "yeah no." Like, not only is it a homemade, but they're also charging $250k per person?

what the heck does "homemade" mean in this context?  is there a submersible store as an alternative, where you go pick up your submersibles cranked off the factory floor?  Did the CEO literally make it in his garage in his spare time from Ana White plans?  I want clarification.

[pixy0stix]

Jun 20, 2023 10:54:14 GMT -5 wawa said:

Jun 20, 2023 10:47:13 GMT -5 ssmjlm said:

DH has been following this and last night he was like "oh yeah and it's homemade" and I was just like "yeah no." Like, not only is it a homemade, but they're also charging $250k per person?

what the heck does "homemade" mean in this context?  is there a submersible store as an alternative, where you go pick up your submersibles cranked off the factory floor?  Did the CEO literally make it in his garage in his spare time from Ana White plans?  I want clarification.

One of the twitter threads is from a person who covered them in 2017 when they were starting up - techcrunch.com/2017/03/15/oceangate-plans-an-expedition-to-3d-scan-the-titanic/

AKA, homemade in this instance is a start-up company that built the sub from scratch using materials that hadn't been used before. It's not a mass produced/factory made and tested vehicle.

[wawa]

Jun 20, 2023 10:58:45 GMT -5 pixy0stix said:

Jun 20, 2023 10:54:14 GMT -5 wawa said:

what the heck does "homemade" mean in this context?  is there a submersible store as an alternative, where you go pick up your submersibles cranked off the factory floor?  Did the CEO literally make it in his garage in his spare time from Ana White plans?  I want clarification.

One of the twitter threads is from a person who covered them in 2017 when they were starting up - techcrunch.com/2017/03/15/oceangate-plans-an-expedition-to-3d-scan-the-titanic/

AKA, homemade in this instance is a start-up company that built the sub from scratch using materials that hadn't been used before. It's not a mass produced/factory made and tested vehicle.

right, but is there such a thing as a mass produced deep ocean submersible?  or are they all one-offs?  I'm gonna lose some time now to deep ocean submersible wiki...  dammit.

[penguingrrl]

I can’t image a scenario in which I would willingly go 2 miles deep in the ocean in a fucking homemade submarine, let alone pay $250K for the honor. That’s just nonsense.

I can’t imagine the folks aren’t already dead, to be honest. It doesn’t sound like there was a real emergency contingency and I doubt there’s enough oxygen on board for as long as they’re saying.

[wildrice]

This is a crazy story. I do hope they are found alive, but at the same time I think of how many other lives they could have saved by using that 250k to support some kind of charity instead. I'm with everyone else, the ideas of space travel or submarine travel sound horrible to begin with and I cannot imagine spending that kind of money on ANY experience.

[Vespasia]

Jun 20, 2023 11:03:02 GMT -5 wawa said:

Jun 20, 2023 10:58:45 GMT -5 pixy0stix said:

One of the twitter threads is from a person who covered them in 2017 when they were starting up - techcrunch.com/2017/03/15/oceangate-plans-an-expedition-to-3d-scan-the-titanic/

AKA, homemade in this instance is a start-up company that built the sub from scratch using materials that hadn't been used before. It's not a mass produced/factory made and tested vehicle.

right, but is there such a thing as a mass produced deep ocean submersible?  or are they all one-offs?  I'm gonna lose some time now to deep ocean submersible wiki...  dammit.

I assume there has to be a legit producer for research vehicles. Or maybe they use decommissioned military craft? 

[Deleted]

My first thought was that this would be a good way for a rich super-villain to fake their own death. My second thought was that my first thought was super mean and dark and that I hope those people somehow manage to survive this ordeal.

[underwaterrhymes]

nsl - that video made me feel like I needed to breathe into a paper bag. Jesus.

[elleblue]

Jun 20, 2023 10:53:37 GMT -5 Michelle said:

Jun 20, 2023 9:08:04 GMT -5 sent said:

The ocean is a terrifying place. How are there no regulations for what kinds of vehicles can go underwater especially going 2 miles underwater!

Regulations usually develop in reaction to stuff. Most people don't have access to the kind of engineering needed to go 2 miles underwater, so there is no need to regulate it. It's kind of... self-regulating via the Darwin award nomination potential.

Not only that but since the Titanic is in international waters, the sub did not need to be licensed, inspected, or certified by any external body.

[cattledogkisses]

Jun 20, 2023 11:10:59 GMT -5 Vespasia said:

Jun 20, 2023 11:03:02 GMT -5 wawa said:

right, but is there such a thing as a mass produced deep ocean submersible?  or are they all one-offs?  I'm gonna lose some time now to deep ocean submersible wiki...  dammit.

I assume there has to be a legit producer for research vehicles. Or maybe they use decommissioned military craft? 

I was curious so I did a search.  WHOI's Alvin submersible, which has explored Titanic for research purposes, was built by General Mills.

[joy]

The door stuff just reminds me of Apollo 1, which had a fire on the launchpad and killed all the astronauts on board. They could not get out.

The door shut from the inside but relied on the pressure inside to make the seal. The pressure inside the module was higher than the outside. So, they perished from being unable to pull the door inward to open it. The door did also need ratchets to open the levers inside so it would never have been quick open. But still.

NASA redesigned all subsequent doors.

[curbsideprophet]

According to this NASA helped construct at least a portion of the submersible.

whnt.com/news/alabama-news/missing-titan-submersible-partially-built-at-nasas-marshall-space-flight-center/

[cattledogkisses]

I didn't realize just how small this thing is - only the size of a minivan.

1. I cannot imagine being trapped in something minivan-sized with 5 people for days.

2. They are never going to find something that small in the North Atlantic. It took 73 years to find Titanic and that was much, much bigger. Not having a locator beacon was incredibly stupid.

[MixedBerryJam]

Jun 20, 2023 10:36:10 GMT -5 wanderingback said:

This is sad but at first I thought this was a science mission but then I read it was $250,000 per person and it was rich people and my thoughts slightly changed, to be honest. One person was on there with their son and yikes that must be a really horrible feeling. They could be anywhere and if they are found deep in the ocean it’s going to be hard to retrieve them.

The updates happening atm and I’m pissed that the coast guard keeps referring to them as crew. AFAICT there are 5 people including 3 people who paid to be there. So this thing with no emergency locator beacon contains a crew of 2 plus three passengers

[MixedBerryJam]

Jun 20, 2023 11:06:54 GMT -5 penguingrrl said:

I can’t image a scenario in which I would willingly go 2 miles deep in the ocean in a fucking homemade submarine, let alone pay $250K for the honor. That’s just nonsense.

I can’t imagine the folks aren’t already dead, to be honest. It doesn’t sound like there was a real emergency contingency and I doubt there’s enough oxygen on board for as long as they’re saying.

I’m also doubting that there is a full 96 hours of oxygen for five humans bc this whole thing seems to have been shoestring.

[buffalogal]

Jun 20, 2023 7:43:57 GMT -5 Velar Fricative said:

I was reading a blurb about how this is how the filthy rich vacation now because they've seen and done everything else. Just because we can, doesn't mean we should. Also, people have way too much damn money.

Having said that, I do hope they're rescued safely. And then I hope this company reimburses the Coast Guard (and thus the taxpayers) for all of its assistance.

there were three huge C-17 air force planes at the Buffalo airport today, the news is they were taking sub equipment manufactured by a local company to assist with the search. 

[zarapipe]

Jun 20, 2023 9:46:31 GMT -5 Wallflower said:

Anyone interested, this is the story that CBS Sunday Morning did on this outfit back in December 2022. It did not instill me with tons of confidence.

www.cbsnews.com/news/titanic-visiting-the-most-famous-shipwreck-in-the-world/

This is mind blowing!!!!! I can’t believe a reporter or anyone would willingly do this. Thanks for finding this article

Ditto everyone else- this is my worst nightmare. Closed places and the ocean.

[underwaterrhymes]

I have a really hard time with people paying so much money to go places like this just because they can. I feel like it’s a colonizer mentality.

ETA - I totally get exploration in the name of science, as long as we are respectful of people, cultures, and ecosystems, but this? Nah.

[gretchenindisguise]

All I keep thinking about is where did they poop while in this contraption?

[penguingrrl]

Jun 20, 2023 13:28:29 GMT -5 gretchenindisguise said:

All I keep thinking about is where did they poop while in this contraption?

Me too, it sounds like that wasn’t built into the design.

When we we learn that a 2-hour nautical tour is never just that?

[sillygoosegirl]

So your $250K ticket doesn't even include a homing beacon... And I thought it was a racket to get charged extra for wifi at the hotel.

[MixedBerryJam]

Jun 20, 2023 13:47:29 GMT -5 penguingrrl said:

Jun 20, 2023 13:28:29 GMT -5 gretchenindisguise said:

All I keep thinking about is where did they poop while in this contraption?

Me too, it sounds like that wasn’t built into the design.

When we we learn that a 2-hour nautical tour is never just that?

i was going to make a reference to a 🎶3-hour tour🎵 but decided against.

[joy]

Jun 20, 2023 13:28:29 GMT -5 gretchenindisguise said:

All I keep thinking about is where did they poop while in this contraption?

While it doesn’t have beacon, it has a toilet with a black curtain for privacy.

EDIT: www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12213437/amp/The-claustrophobic-conditions-inside-missing-Titanic-vessel.html

[mysteriouswife]

@@@@ sorry forgot when I first posted

One of the missing has a step-son being dragged for not stopping their life. I don’t know what the media or world want this guy to do. It’s not like he can swim the ocean to look. Plus, we don’t know the relationship of the kid (he might be an adult 🤷🏻‍♀️) and the missing.

ETA- the kid went to a concert

www.reddit.com/r/Weird/comments/14e0htu/guys_stepdad_goes_missing_miles_beneath_the_ocean/

[msmerymac]

Jun 20, 2023 11:32:44 GMT -5 elleblue said:

Jun 20, 2023 10:53:37 GMT -5 Michelle said:

Regulations usually develop in reaction to stuff. Most people don't have access to the kind of engineering needed to go 2 miles underwater, so there is no need to regulate it. It's kind of... self-regulating via the Darwin award nomination potential.

Not only that but since the Titanic is in international waters, the sub did not need to be licensed, inspected, or certified by any external body.

YET the coast guard is rescuing them (in theory). Do they even have the capability to go 2 miles down?

Which answers a question a coworker of mine had to day about whether the coast guard would save you if you were attacked by pirates in international waters. 

[msmerymac]

The issue is that they haven't popped to the surface as far as anyone can tell (unless they just haven't been found), so if they haven't, it leads to the assumption that the vehicle imploded due to a leak or some other catastrophe. Which is, at least, quick. So I'm not sure why people are worried about bathroom access or oxygen.

[aurora]

Jun 20, 2023 11:10:59 GMT -5 Vespasia said:

Jun 20, 2023 11:03:02 GMT -5 wawa said:

right, but is there such a thing as a mass produced deep ocean submersible?  or are they all one-offs?  I'm gonna lose some time now to deep ocean submersible wiki...  dammit.

I assume there has to be a legit producer for research vehicles. Or maybe they use decommissioned military craft? 

I know nothing about undersea vehicles specifically, but lots of high-tech research equipment is custom-made, so it's not shocking to me that you can't just go buy something like this.

[aurora]

Jun 20, 2023 15:16:51 GMT -5 msmerymac said:

The issue is that they haven't popped to the surface as far as anyone can tell (unless they just haven't been found), so if they haven't, it leads to the assumption that the vehicle imploded due to a leak or some other catastrophe. Which is, at least, quick. So I'm not sure why people are worried about bathroom access or oxygen.

Can you imagine the morbid wealthy tourism in 20 years? "Here, folks, we have the Titanic, where 1500 people died. And then just down the way we have the relics of the first attempt at tourism in this area in 2023."

Seriously, though, I am very much hoping they are found and rescued. It's just...so many things can go wrong in an environment like that.

[deadwing]

Jun 20, 2023 14:46:34 GMT -5 joy said:

Jun 20, 2023 13:28:29 GMT -5 gretchenindisguise said:

All I keep thinking about is where did they poop while in this contraption?

While it doesn’t have beacon, it has a toilet with a black curtain for privacy.

EDIT: www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12213437/amp/The-claustrophobic-conditions-inside-missing-Titanic-vessel.html

Based on the image in that link, there is a viewing portal in front of the toilet. So, sea creatures can watch you take care of business!

And there are no seats. For $250k.