After five people die in the implosion of the Titan, a tourist submarine she was using to approach the wreck of the Titanic, the submersible’s design is discovered. However, the boss of the company that built it, OceanGate, had been made aware of security vulnerabilities.
The BBC revealed emails exchanged between OceanGate boss Stockton Rush and deep-sea research specialist Rob McCallum. In 2018, he challenged the CEO not to use his submarine: “I think you’re potentially putting yourself and your customers in a dangerous dynamic.”
“We’ve heard it too many times Unfounded “You’re killing someone” criticism”, Stockton Rush responded. Despite multiple requests from experts, the Titan submarine had never been certified prior to its commercial deployment.
“I am perfectly qualified”
In other discussions, Rob McCallum had insisted that the submarine had to be approved before any reconnaissance tour. Stockton Rush had continued to defend its “innovative approach”. which “violated the doctrine of the submersibles”.
According to the OceanGate boss, industry players tried to prevent new market entrants. “I am fully qualified to understand the risks and issues related to underwater exploration,” he said.
Several experts have advised against OceanGate’s underwater expeditions for two main reasons, Rob McCallum explained. First, the use of carbon fiber, a material considered unreliable to build the Titan; on the other hand, the fact that The submersible was never homologated.
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