‘Tiny sub, big ocean’: Why the Titanic submersible search is so challenging

The search continues for OceanGate’s Titan submersible that went missing during a tourist trip to the Titanic shipwreck, with five people on board and limited oxygen supply.

The big picture: The submersible lost contact with its support ship about 1 hour and 45 minutes after submerging into the Atlantic Ocean, 435 miles south of St. John’s, Newfoundland.
* The U.S. Coast Guard estimated that the vessel had between 70 and 96 hours of oxygen left on Monday afternoon.

Challenges in the search: Retired U.S. Navy submarine captain David Marquet says factors such as the “tiny sub, big ocean and extremely deep water and several hundred miles away from the coast” make the search and rescue mission difficult.
* Marquet likens the situation to a “spacecraft disappeared on the far side of the moon.”
* Even once found, passengers are trapped because the submersible’s hatch is bolted from the outside.

Next steps: The search continues with high-resolution scanning of the ocean floor using sonar, alongside aircraft and sonar buoys from the U.S. and Canadian Coast Guards.
* If the submersible is found, Marquet says it will have to be towed back to the surface with special equipment and a specialized ship.

View original article on NPR

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