The entire world is still reeling in the aftermath of OceanGate’s Titan submersible disappearing in the North Atlantic Ocean this past Sunday. Unfortunately, news hit Thursday afternoon that the makeshift submersible suffered a “catastrophic implosion,” meaning that all five people aboard the Titan were lost. Those aboard the submersible were OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush, British billionaire explorer Hamish Harding, French diver Paul-Henri Nargeolet, Pakistani businessman Shahzada Dawood, and his 19-year-old son Suleman Dawood.
As it stands, many are still scratching their heads and asking questions about the overall safety of the Titan, and if the OceanGate submersible had made any trips to explore the wreckage of the Titanic in the past. So, let’s examine exactly whether or not the Titan has made the major voyage before.
How many trips did the Titan make?
Before its tragic accident, the Titan had made the journey to explore the Titanic wreckage three times. The first trip initially launched in 2021, where the first hints of safety concerns were raised. During the Titan’s trip in 2022, reporter David Pogue, who was aboard the submersible at the time, later expressed concern over certain elements that showcased “riggedness.” On that same trip, the Titan actually lost communication with the main ship for over two hours.
During the trip last year, writer Mike Reiss revealed that he signed a waiver beforehand, which mentioned that he could die from the expedition. Reiss insisted that there were moments where he felt that “this could be the end,” but explained that was a part of the deal when passengers paid $250,000 to attend the trip.
Other than its trips carrying explorers, OceanGate apparently stated that the Titan had completed over 50 test dives — which included the Bahamas, in areas as deep or nearly as deep as the Titanic, and in a particular pressure chamber.