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They lost contact right around 1:30-1:45 into the dive, which takes about 2 hours to reach final depth... while it's possible they lost power or controls, the i

They lost contact right around 1:30-1:45 into the dive, which takes about 2 hours to reach final depth... while it's possible they lost power or controls, the idea that we're going to find them bobbing around somewhere instead of basically right next to the Titanic wreck itself on the seafloor seems laughable. It feels like the most likely failure mode has to do with the viewport, considering some earlier duty cycle trepidation and the linked concerns about the viewport's certifiable depths. Would love to be wrong, but I think we're going to find a crushed/mangled carbon fiber tin can sitting alongside the wreck when we finally get an unmanned submersible down there that can look for them.

bambax 3y ago
> the idea that we're going to find them bobbing around somewhere It wouldn't actually make any difference, because the only way out of that thing is to unscrew 17 heavy duty bolts from the outside. If they're floating around somewhere that doesn't make them safe; they're just suffocating at the surface instead of on the sea floor. Also, the claimed 96 hours of "life support" was never properly tested, and there's no evidence the vessel was able to properly extract toxic gasses from its atmosphere, etc.
SheepHerdr 3y ago
Apparently they implemented 'seven safety systems to help it return to the surface', but whether those actually worked is questionable. It doesn't exactly inspire hope to read that one of these 'systems' was to have the passengers 'tilt the sub by moving to each side of it releasing weights held in place on each side'. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-65965665 https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-65965665
- ssnistfajen 3y ago
  This reads like peak marketing since at least 5 of those 7 safety measures are just "drop weights" with extra steps, but I guess "three safety systems" sounds less sexy in promotional material.

bambax 3y ago

> the idea that we're going to find them bobbing around somewhere It wouldn't actually make any difference, because the only way out of that thing is to unscrew 17 heavy duty bolts from the outside. If they're floating around somewhere that doesn't make them safe; they're just suffocating at the surface instead of on the sea floor. Also, the claimed 96 hours of "life support" was never properly tested, and there's no evidence the vessel was able to properly extract toxic gasses from its atmosphere, etc.

SheepHerdr 3y ago

Apparently they implemented 'seven safety systems to help it return to the surface', but whether those actually worked is questionable. It doesn't exactly inspire hope to read that one of these 'systems' was to have the passengers 'tilt the sub by moving to each side of it releasing weights held in place on each side'. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-65965665 https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-65965665

ssnistfajen 3y ago
This reads like peak marketing since at least 5 of those 7 safety measures are just "drop weights" with extra steps, but I guess "three safety systems" sounds less sexy in promotional material.