First Official Mission To Titanic Wreck Since OceanGate Sub Disaster Kicks Off

A new expedition to the wreck of the Titanic is all ready to go, marking the first journey to the sunken site since the infamous OceanGate submersible accident of 2023. But don’t fret, the upcoming project will explore the seabed using robotic subs with no risk of deadly implosions.

Simply named the Titanic Expedition 2024, the mission will set sail onboard the Dino Chouest on July 12, according to a post on X.

The project is being led by RMS Titanic, Inc. , a US-based company that won the sole salvage rights to the Titanic after a high-stakes legal battle. It will be their ninth journey to the shipwreck, where they hope to image and map the site in the finest detail yet using remotely operated vehicles (ROVs).

"We want to see the wreck with a clarity and precision that's never before been achieved," David Gallo, oceanographer and co-leader of the expedition, told BBC News .

They also hope to take new photographs of the wreck to see how much it has degraded since their last expedition in 2010.

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RMS Titanic was the supposedly "unsinkable" ocean liner that sank in the North Atlantic Ocean on April 15, 1912, after striking an iceberg during her maiden voyage from Southampton in England to New York City. Discovered in 1985, its wreck is located some 700 kilometers (435 miles) off the east coast of Canada at a depth of around 3,800 meters (12,500 feet) below the water's surface.

To reach this submerged site, RMS Titanic, Inc. says it takes between 2 and 2.5 hours for its submersible to reach the bottom of the ocean.

Along with documenting the historic ship, the team hopes to use their voyage to honor the lives lost in the sinking of the Titanic, as well as those who recently died in the tragic OceanGate incident.

On June 18, 2023, OceanGate’s Titan sub imploded while descending to the Titanic wreck site, killing all five people on board, including the director of research at RMS Titanic, Inc. who was due to lead this expedition: Paul-Henri "PH" Nargeolet. To honor his legacy, a plaque will be laid on the seabed.

“It's tough but the thing about exploration is that there's an urge and a drive to keep going. And we're doing that because of that passion PH had for continuous exploration," explained friend and historian Rory Golden, speaking to BBC.

While this month’s expedition is looking to largely rely on ROVs, there is fresh talk of returning humans to the crash site. In May, Patrick Lahey – the co-founder and CEO of Triton Submarines – and Larry Connor – a 74-year-old real-estate investor from Ohio – announced they were planning to travel to the seabed and carry out a scientific study of the Titanic.

To do so, the pair hope to travel to the depths of the North Atlantic on board a cutting-edge sub known as the Triton 4000/2 Abyssal Explorer.