a b Maxa, Kathleen (21 June 1981). "The Texas Tycoon in Search of the Titanic". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on 5 October 2022 . Retrieved 2 July 2021. That said, exploring the ship’s interior is even more difficult than visiting its exterior, so much of it remains a mystery. Naturally, the tight spaces make manned missions extremely difficult. Even unmanned submersibles struggle to reach the ship’s interior without damaging it. This can make the descent a lengthy and stressful event for crewed missions. As you may know, these types of expeditions can be incredibly dangerous. In fact, the recent OceanGate Titan expedition failed during the descent, as the submersible could not withstand the immense water pressure at that depth. Sadly, this doomed expedition resulted in the loss of five lives. Final Words These specialized vehicles are designed to withstand immense water pressure while eliminating the dangers of sending people down to the bottom of the ocean. They can capture images and video footage and retrieve and manipulate artifacts with remote-controlled arms. Spignesi, Stephen (2012). The Titanic For Dummies. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons. ISBN 978-1-118-20651-5.

Passenger staterooms have largely deteriorated because they were framed in perishable softwoods such as pine, leaving hanging electrical wire, light fixtures and debris interspersed with more durable items like brass bed frames, light fixtures, and marble-topped washstands. Woodwork with attachments like doorknobs, drawer-pulls or push-plates have survived in better condition because of the small electric charge emitted by metal which repels fish and other organisms. Hardwoods like teak and mahogany, the material for most stateroom furnishings, are more resistant to decay. Lavatories and bathrooms within the passenger quarters have resisted decay because they were framed in steel. a b c d e f Ringle, Ken (6 August 1996). "New Depths for Titanic Promoter?". The Washington Post. Nash Holdings. Archived from the original on 6 June 2020 . Retrieved 18 May 2020. RMS Titanic International Agreement". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. 29 February 2012. Archived from the original on 1 December 2017 . Retrieved 9 March 2012. To safely operate a manned exploration submersible, the submarine needs to be designed to function in extreme cold and keep occupants warm enough to survive. Total Darkness and Visibility Limitations The results were inconclusive, as three weeks of surveying in almost continuous bad weather during July and August 1980 failed to find the Titanic. The problem was exacerbated by technological limitations; the Sea MARC sonar used by the expedition had a relatively low resolution and was a new and untested piece of equipment. It was nearly lost only 36 hours after it was first deployed when the tail was ripped off during a sharp turn, destroying the magnetometer, which would have been vital for detecting the Titanic 's hull. Nonetheless, it surveyed an area of some 500 square nautical miles (1,700 square kilometres) and identified 14 possible targets. [23] A documentary of this expedition, featuring Welles, was titled Search for the Titanic (1981). [24]Today, the Titanic remains deep beneath the surface of the North Atlantic Ocean. To be more exact, it is resting at a depth of roughly 12,500 feet or 3,800 meters below the surface. Given that the average depth of the Atlantic Ocean is approximately 12,100 feet, the Titanic sits at a particularly deep location. MacInnis said that in the event the submersible is located deep within the ocean, any recovery will be “incredibly costly”. Between 25 July and 10 September 1987, an expedition mounted by IFREMER and a consortium of American investors which included George Tulloch, G. Michael Harris, D. Michael Harris and Ralph White made 32 dives to the Titanic using the submersible Nautile. Controversially, they salvaged and brought ashore more than 1,800 objects. [43] A joint Russian-Canadian-American expedition took place in 1991 using the research vessel Akademik Mstislav Keldysh and its two MIR submersibles. Sponsored by Stephen Low and IMAX, CBS, National Geographic and others, the expedition carried out extensive scientific research with a crew of 130 scientists and engineers. The MIRs carried out 17 dives, spending over 140 hours at the bottom, shooting 40,000 feet (12,000m) of IMAX film. This was used to create the 1992 documentary film Titanica, which was later released in the US on DVD in a re-edited version narrated by Leonard Nimoy. [44] [45]

This type of water pressure can instantly crush metal and destroy research submarines not specially designed to withstand these forces. Extremely Cold Water Temperatures White, Marcia (24 March 2009). "Battle continues on fate of relics from doomed ship Titanic". The Express-Times. Archived from the original on 23 February 2012 . Retrieved 15 March 2012. While the amount of time it takes to reach the Titanic’s depth will depend on the submersible being used, most expeditions tend to take between two and four hours to reach their final depth.The Titanic Story: Timeline For 2001". Titanic Heritage Trust. Archived from the original on 24 October 2010 . Retrieved 9 March 2012.