First trip to the wreck of the Titanic in 14 years

(Portland) The company that holds the copyright to the Titanic undertakes its first expedition to the ship’s wreck in years.

Those involved in the mission said they had both heavy hearts and high goals for an expedition that comes a year after a submarine disaster involving another company killed five people.

RMS Titanic (RMST), a Georgia-based company, holds the legal rights to salvage the wreck of the ship, which sank in the North Atlantic in 1912. The company’s first expedition to the site since 2010 launched Friday from Providence, Rhode Island.

The voyage comes as the global underwater exploration community is still reeling from the deadly implosion of an experimental submersible en route to the Titanic in June 2023. The submarine disaster Titan killed all five people on board, including Paul-Henri Nargeolet, who was the underwater research director. RMS Titanic.

This summer’s mission to the Titanic “means even more with the death” of Mr. Nargeolet, known as “Mr. Titanic” by many, said the president of RMSTJessica Sanders.

The expedition will use modern imaging technology and remotely operated vehicles to capture detailed images of the Titanicfrom the wreck site and debris field, officials said RMST.

“This monumental undertaking will allow us to document the Titanic with unprecedented detail and to share discoveries from the wreck site with the public, continuing PH’s extraordinary work and passion [Paul-Henri] “, said Mr.^me Sanders.

The ship en route to the site, the Dino Chouest, will take several days to reach the site of the Titanic and is expected to return around August 13, said Jon Hammond, a spokesman for RMST.

The work will allow the company to provide a comprehensive analysis of the current state of the wreck of the Titanic and a detailed assessment of artifacts that can be safely targeted for future recovery, representatives said. RMST.

Mr. Nargeolet has made more than 35 dives to the Titanic during his lifetime. The implosion also killed the operator of the Titan Stockton Rush; two members of a prominent Pakistani family, Shahzada Dawood and her son Suleman Dawood, 19; and British adventurer Hamish Harding.

OceanGate, a company co-founded by Mr. Rush and which owns the submersible, suspended operations a year ago. The U.S. Coast Guard has mounted a high-level investigation into what happened, but it has taken longer than expected and it is unclear when the probe will conclude.

Underwater explorers are waiting to hear the results of the investigation. The voyage of RMST constitutes an important step in the exploration of the site of Titanicsaid Katy Croff Bell, founder of the Ocean Discovery League.

“The Coast Guard investigation is still ongoing and they have not yet released their findings, so the final chapter of this episode has not yet been aired,” Mr.^me Bell: One thing that has come out is that there may be more interest.”

This month’s journey to the Titanic will also allow for comparison with 2010 imagery, representatives said. RMSTThe mission could also result in the discovery of new debris field areas, previously unknown marine life and new areas of deterioration that could provide clear access to the ship’s interior, the company said on its website.

The vessel making the voyage is equipped with two remotely operated vehicles that will be used to capture the first end-to-end mapping image of the wreck field and debris site, it detailed RMST.

The expedition will include “the highest-resolution camera systems ever deployed to the site with the goal of bringing new information about the ship to the community,” said Evan Kovacs, an underwater filmmaker working on the mission.