- Experts aim to make the most detailed map ever of the wreck site of the famous ship
- First commercial expedition to the site since the ill-fated OceanGate last year
- Titanic sank in 1912 and now lives 3,800 meters below the surface
The Titanic continues to hold a fascination for people across the world and now a new expedition is hoping to bring new insights into the liner and its sinking.
A team comprising scientists, imaging experts and historians has set sail from Rhode Island to go to the wreck site. It is run by RMS Titanic Inc, the company that has exclusive rights to recover artifacts from the site.
3D model
The expedition – which is said to be about reconnaissance rather than recovering artifacts – is the first by the company since 2010. The aim is to use robotic vehicles to capture millions of photographs of the wreck site, which will be used to create a 3D model of the site and the debris around it.
The Titanic rests more than 3,800 meters below the surface and the bow and stern of the ship are 600 meters apart, with the central debris field lying around where the stern rests. While the bow and stern sections have been analysed in detail in previous expeditions, there are still large areas that have not been investigated in great depth yet.
Memorial
An expedition was made last year by another company, which resulted in the Oceangate disaster, where five people died when their submersible suffered a catastrophic implosion. During the current mission a memorial service to commemorate those lost in that tragedy – as well as the 1,500 people who lost their lives when the Titanic sank in 1912 – will be held.
The team have sailed on the logistics ship Dino Chouest and the team plan to spend about 20 days over the wreck site – weather permitting – to carry out their mission.
