Here's everything we know about the missing Titan submersible

CBC News | Posted: June 21, 2023 7:19 PM | Last Updated: June 22, 2023

From how deep the tourist vessel can go to who's on board, here's a roundup of our stories on the submersible

Image | Cda-Titanic-Search 20230621

Caption: A submersible vessel named Titan used to visit the wreckage site of the Titanic. There’s a faint glimmer of hope in the search for submersible missing near the wreck of the Titanic south of Newfoundland after an underwater noise was detected by a Canadian aircraft. (OceanGate Expeditions/The Associated Press)

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The search continues for a deep-water submersible called the Titan off the North Atlantic coast, after the tourist vessel lost contact with the ship from which it was launched. Headed some 3,800 metres below the surface to the Titanic wreck, it's believed to have five passengers on-= board, including a father and son and the CEO of the company behind the submersible, Stockton Rush.

OceanGate Expeditions, the company that makes the vessel, is leading the search underwater, which includes the U.S. and Canadian coast guard. As the search effort continues, here's everything we know about the story so far.

What's the status of the search?

As the vessel's air supply ticks down to its last day of oxygen supply, here's the latest on the search.

What exactly is the missing vessel?

The details behind the submersible itself are unique. It's a carbon fibre and titanium submersible that is "lighter in weight and more cost-efficient to mobilize than any other deep-diving submersible," according to OceanGate.

Image | Titanic Tourist Sub

Caption: OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush emerges from the hatch atop the OceanGate submarine Cyclops 1 in the San Juan Islands, Wash., on Sept. 12, 2018. (Alan Berner/The Seattle Times/The Associated Press)

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Who's on board?

There are five people on board the Titan, including OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush and billionaire Hamish Harding, here's who else is on the submersible.

WATCH | What's it like on board the Titan?

Media Video | What's it like inside the OceanGate submersible?

Caption: Mike Reiss, a writer and producer who had a successful voyage with OceanGate to the wreck of the Titanic, says it is 'not a tourist trip.' He explains why he took the journey in the small submersible despite the risk.

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Just how deep can the Titan go?

This guide shows how far below the surface the vessel claims it can travel, deeper than most underwater vehicles, including some Navy submarines.

Just five years ago, industry experts warned Rush he was walking a dangerous path by refusing to submit to safety certifications for his submersibles, including the Titan.

WATCH | Inside the complexity of the search:

Media Video | CBC News : 'Enormous complexity' in search for missing sub, coast guard says

Caption: Capt. Jamie Frederick of the U.S. coast guard says the search area has grown substantially as crews seek out the missing OceanGate submersible. Frederick said the location of the search, far off the coast, has made it exceptionally difficult to mobilize large amounts of equipment quickly — but he praised the co-ordinated efforts of responding agencies.

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How is the search being conducted?

Given the depths the submersible was travelling, rescue conditions prove challenging. These remotely operated vehicles are key to operation.

Why was it taking people to the Titanic in the first place?

Though both the Titanic and the Edmund Fitzgerald are considered gravesites, here's why only one is off limits.