History of Titan (submersible) in Timeline

By Popular Timelines Editorial Team · Updated: September 18, 2024

"Titan" was a submersible engineered by OceanGate for deep-sea exploration. Distinguished as the first privately owned submersible with a 4,000-meter depth capability, it also held the distinction of being the first of its kind to feature a hull composed of titanium and carbon fiber composite materials. Originally known as "Cyclops 2," the submersible was designed to withstand extreme underwater pressures.

1985: Discovery of the Titanic Wreckage

The wreckage of the Titanic was discovered in 1985.

1997: Footage for "Titanic" Film

Russian Mir-class submersibles, of Finnish origin, captured footage of the Titanic wreckage in the 1990s. This footage was used in the opening scenes of the 1997 film "Titanic".

2009: Rob McCallum's Involvement and Departure

Rob McCallum had consulted for OceanGate in 2009, but he left the company due to concerns about the hurried development of the submersible.

2013: Submersible Development Begins

OceanGate initiated the development of a submersible with a composite carbon fiber and titanium hull in 2013. This project was a collaboration with the University of Washington's Applied Physics Laboratory (APL-UW) and the submersible was tentatively named Cyclops 2.

2015: Warning Against Carbon Fiber

Liz Taylor, president of DOER Marine, specifically cautioned Stockton Rush against using carbon fiber in the submersible's construction in 2015.

December 2016: First Titanium Components Ordered

OceanGate placed an order for the initial titanium structural components for the submersible from Titanium Fabrication Corp. (TiFab) in December 2016.

2016: OceanGate Explores the Andrea Doria

OceanGate used its submersibles to take tourists to the wreck of the Andrea Doria in 2016.

January 2017: Contract for Carbon-Composite Cylinder

OceanGate signed a contract with Spencer Composites in January 2017 for the construction of the carbon-composite cylinder.

2017: OceanGate Announces Titanic Expeditions

OceanGate announced its plans for Titanic expeditions, with each passenger seat priced at US$105,129, a figure determined by adjusting the cost of a first-class suite on the Titanic in 1912 for inflation.

2017: Design and Assembly of the Pressure Hull

Spencer Composites designed and assembled the cylinder for the Titan's pressure hull. This work was completed in 2017 after curing the cylinder at 137 °C (279 °F) for a week.

January 2018: Lochridge Raises Safety Concerns

David Lochridge, OceanGate's Director of Marine Operations, raised serious safety concerns about Titan in January 2018. He reported the lack of non-destructive testing on the hull and expressed concerns about the acrylic window's depth rating. His concerns were dismissed, leading to his dismissal from the company.

March 2018: Cyclops 2 Renamed Titan

Cyclops 2 was renamed to Titan in March 2018 and was launched the same year.

March 2018: Concerns Raised About Titan's Design

The Marine Technology Society's committee on Manned Underwater Vehicles drafted a letter to Stockton Rush in March 2018. This letter expressed concerns regarding the design of the Titan submersible and recommended classification of the vessel by a ship classification society.

June 2018: Uncrewed Deep Dive Test

In June 2018, OceanGate conducted an uncrewed test dive of Titan to 4,000 meters. The test aimed to validate the submersible's design and capabilities.

November 2018: Lochridge's Lawsuit and Complaint Withdrawal

Following his dismissal, Lochridge filed a lawsuit against OceanGate, which countersued. The lawsuit was settled in November 2018, and Lochridge withdrew his complaint with OSHA.

December 2018: Rush's Solo Deep Dive and Communication Loss

Stockton Rush piloted Titan on a solo dive to 4,000 meters in December 2018. During the dive, he experienced communication loss with the surface ship for approximately an hour due to interference caused by the use of vertical thrusters to address unexpected buoyancy issues.

2018: Testing Delays Operations

Continued testing of Titan's novel hull prevented any operations from taking place in 2018.

2018: Testing and Fatigue Damage

In 2018, the Titan submersible underwent testing dives to its maximum intended depth. This testing revealed fatigue damage in the original composite hull.

2018: Marine Technology Society Letter

Members of the Marine Technology Society sent a letter to OceanGate in 2018, expressing concerns about the Titan's design and urging classification.

2018: McCallum's Warning to Rush

Rob McCallum sent an email to Stockton Rush in 2018, cautioning him about the risks associated with the development cycle and the decision not to classify the submersible.

April 2019: Crewed Dive and Cracking Noises

In April 2019, a crew of four, including Stockton Rush and Karl Stanley, descended in Titan to 3,760 meters. During the dive, they experienced loud cracking noises that raised concerns about the hull's integrity. Stanley expressed his concerns to Rush, who acknowledged the need for further testing.

2019: OceanGate's Response to Concerns

OceanGate published a blog post in 2019, explaining their decision not to classify the Titan submersible. They argued that most marine accidents result from operator error rather than mechanical failure.

2019: Ticket Price Increase and Voyage Delay

The cost of a ticket to view the Titanic on Titan rose to $125,000 in 2019. 54 tourists signed up for voyages scheduled to start on June 27th, but were delayed to 2020 due to permit issues with the surface support vessel and violations of the Coasting Trade Act.

2019: Continued Testing

Titan continued to undergo testing dives to its maximum intended depth in 2019.

January 2020: Hull Fatigue and De-rating

After tests in January 2020, Titan's hull showed signs of cyclic fatigue, leading to a de-rating of its maximum depth to 3,000 meters.

January 2020: Titan Hull De-rated and Voyage Delayed

In January 2020, the original hull of the Titan submersible was de-rated to a maximum depth of 3,000 meters due to signs of fatigue. The procurement of carbon fiber filament for a replacement hull was delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

November 2020: First Voyage to Titanic Delayed to May 2021

In November 2020, OceanGate announced that the first voyage of the Titan to the Titanic wreck would be delayed until May 2021.

2020: OceanGate's Hiring Practices

In 2020, it was noted that OceanGate had hired many recent graduates. OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush defended this practice, stating his preference for a younger team.

May 2021: Planned First Voyage to Titanic

May 2021 was the proposed date for the first voyage of the Titan to the Titanic wreck, following delays from November 2020.

May 2021: Gates and Weed's Test Dive and Issues

Television host Josh Gates and camera operator Brian Weed conducted a test dive on Titan in Puget Sound in May 2021. The dive was aborted at a depth of 30 meters due to multiple technical issues, including communication loss, propulsion system errors, and computer malfunctions.

2021: Passenger Test Dive to 500 Meters

A passenger participated in a test dive on Titan to a depth of 500 meters in Possession Sound with Stockton Rush as the pilot. The passenger reported a positive experience and proceeded to join a Titanic expedition later that year.

2021: Hull Repair or Replacement

Between 2020 and 2021, Titan's hull underwent either repair or replacement by Electroimpact and Janicki Industries. The exact nature of the work and the reasons behind it remain unclear.

2021: Unsuccessful Dive and Mechanical Problems

During one of the 2021 dives, Titan experienced mechanical problems and became stuck at the bottom of the ocean for at least four hours. The submersible was unable to reach the Titanic wreckage or ascend to the surface. Passengers spent 20 hours inside Titan before returning to the surface.

2021: New Hull Construction and Design Changes

In 2021, a new hull was constructed for Titan after the previous hull cracked. Rush concealed the reason for the delay from investors and the public. Despite scale models imploding during testing, a different curing method was used for the full-sized hull, which passed pressure testing. Rush insisted on reusing parts from the failed submersible against engineers' recommendations, and lifting rings were added despite prior warnings about the submersible's inability to handle tension or load.

2021: Shallow Water Test Dives

In the first half of 2021, OceanGate conducted shallow water test dives in Washington state with prospective passengers for the Titanic expeditions.

2021: OceanGate's Survey Expeditions to the Titanic

OceanGate commenced several survey expeditions to the Titanic wreckage site using the Titan submersible in 2021.

2021: Five Titanic Excursions and New Support Vessel

OceanGate organized five Titanic excursions in 2021 and chose the Canadian-flagged AHTS Horizon Arctic as the surface support vessel.

2021: Hull Replacement and First Paying Customers

The fatigue damage discovered in 2018 and 2019 led to the replacement of Titan's original composite hull by 2021. Following the hull replacement, OceanGate started transporting paying customers to the Titanic wreck site, successfully completing several dives in 2021.

July 2022: Successful and Unsuccessful Dives

Passenger Alan Estrada successfully reached the Titanic aboard Titan on July 2nd, 2022, and documented the experience on his YouTube channel. Reporter David Pogue joined OceanGate's fourth Titanic excursion of 2022 (between July 9-17), but his dive, along with another during the excursion, was canceled due to technical issues.

2022: Rush Addresses Design Concerns

In 2022, Stockton Rush, CEO of OceanGate, addressed concerns about Titan's design, which some perceived as "MacGyver-like" due to its use of off-the-shelf components. Rush highlighted partnerships with NASA, Boeing, and the University of Washington to alleviate these concerns.

2022: Communication Loss and Lack of Locator Beacon

Journalist David Pogue participated in an OceanGate Titanic expedition in 2022 and observed that the Titan was not equipped with an emergency locator beacon. During his expedition, the surface support vessel lost track of the submersible for approximately five hours.

2022: Titanic Dives Continue

OceanGate continued to conduct dives to the Titanic wreck site with paying customers in 2022.

2022: Five Titanic Excursions

OceanGate organized another five Titanic excursions in 2022 using the Horizon Arctic as the support vessel.

May 2023: New Support Vessel and Planned Excursions

OceanGate secured the MV Polar Prince as the support vessel for the 2023 survey expedition, with excursions planned to begin in May. The change in support vessel was driven by the increasing cost of leasing the Horizon Arctic. Journalist Arnie Weissmann participated in "Mission 2," the second excursion of 2023, which was scheduled to depart on May 20th, 2023. However, no dives to the Titanic took place during this excursion.

June 2023: Pogue Publishes Interview Series

In June 2023, David Pogue published a series of interviews he conducted with Stockton Rush in 2022. The interviews provided insights into Rush's perspective on Titan's design and safety.

June 2023: Contact Lost With Titan

On June 18, 2023, during the first planned dive of the year, communication with the Titan submersible was lost during its descent to the Titanic wreckage. The submersible was carrying tourists Hamish Harding, Shahzada Dawood and his son Suleman Dawood, crew member and Titanic expert Paul-Henri Nargeolet, and OceanGate founder and pilot Stockton Rush. The incident occurred approximately 320 nautical miles off the coast of Newfoundland, and search and rescue efforts were immediately launched.

June 2023: Titan Implodes

On June 22, 2023, it was confirmed that the Titan submersible had imploded, likely around the time communication was lost during its descent. The catastrophic implosion resulted in the instantaneous death of all five occupants. Investigations into the cause of the implosion are ongoing, but experts believe that the carbon fiber used in the submersible's hull may have cracked under the immense pressure of the deep sea.

2023: Concerns About Carbon Fiber Resurface

Concerns regarding the use of carbon fiber in the Titan's construction resurfaced in 2023.

2023: Fatal Implosion

During the first 2023 expedition to the Titanic wreck site, the Titan submersible imploded, resulting in the death of all five occupants. The incident occured on June 18th, leading to a large-scale international search and rescue operation. The operation concluded on June 22nd with the discovery of debris approximately 1,600 feet from the bow of the Titanic.

2023: Passenger Recounts Experience

In 2023, a passenger from the unsuccessful 2021 dive shared their experience with the Vancouver Sun, stating they enjoyed the trip despite the difficulties encountered.

2023: OceanGate's Claims and Denials

In 2023, inconsistencies arose regarding OceanGate's claims about Titan's design and engineering. While OceanGate asserted collaborations with NASA, Boeing, and the University of Washington, these entities denied significant involvement in the submersible's development and testing.