The deep-sea robot that recovered debris from the Titan after its catastrophic implosion last week was launched on a fourth dive as recovery efforts continue.
A week after the tragedy that killed all five passengers aboard the fated submersible, the US Coast Guard announced that ROVs (remotely-operated vehicles) remain in place as part of recovery operations.
The ROV that made the critical finding of the Titan’s chambers 1,600ft from the Titanic’s wreckage, the Odysseus 6K, was launched again on Sunday in further efforts to recover more debris, according to Pelagic Research Services, the company that operates the deep-sea robot.
Pictures shared by the company over the weekend show crew onboard the Canadian ship Horizon Artic deploying the Odysseus out to the sea.
“This recovery phase is a remarkably difficult and risky operation, especially at this depth,” a spokesperson said in a statement. “Given its continuous operation under the incredible atmospheric pressures, temperatures and environmental stresses, it’s a testament to the skill of the team and the engineering of Odysseus.”
The Coast Guard previously admitted that recovery efforts will be challenging due to the unforgiving conditions of the ocean floor. However, the service said during a Sunday press conference ROVs will continue to descent 12,000ft below the ocean surface to search for more debris.
The Odysseus 6K was the only ROV that recovered debris from the Titan after its catastrophic implosion last week— (Pelagic Research Services)
The deep-sea robot was launched on its fourth dive on Sunday— (Pelagic Research Services)
The Coast Guard has announced investigations into the circumstances that led to the vessel’s malfunction. Canadian officials also revealed on Saturday that audio and commands between the Titan and its mothership Polar Prince will be analysed as part of their probe.
The chair of the Transportation Safety Board of Canada, Kathy Fox, said that the mothership’s crew was interviewed to “collect information from the vessel’s voyage data recorder and other vessel systems that contain useful information,” according to CNN.
The US Coast Guard announced over the weekend that recovery efforts will continue— (Pelagic Research Services)
The investigations come after the BBC reported that emails from Mr Rush showed he had dismissed safety concerns over the Titan submersible. In the exchanges with deep-sea exploration specialist Rob McCallum, OceanGate’s chief executive said he was “tired of industry players who try to use a safety argument to stop innovation”.
Meanwhile, a lawsuit filed by a former OceanGate employee in 2018 and obtained by The New Republic listed “visible flaws” with the vessel that were reportedly ignored by senior management. Submarine experts had also signed a letter expressing “unanimous concern” with the company’s decision not to seek outside evaluation and testing before bringing passengers down to the Titanic.
The Independent has contacted OceanGate for comment on the allegations.
