Titan, OceanGate’s missing tourist submersible offering tourist trips to the Titanic wreckage, was using Elon Musk’s Starlink wifi for its underwater communication, it’s been revealed. Rescuers are desperately searching an area roughly 435 miles south of Newfoundland for any sign of the vehicle. However, despite hearing “banging sounds” from the ocean near where the craft went missing, Titan has yet to be located.
As it turns out, OceanGate Expeditions was relying on Musk’s Starlink wifi to keep in touch with the submersible when it goes down to the wreckage. However, contact between the mothership and Titan was lost less than two hours into its journey on Sunday, June 18.
Despite being in the middle of the North Atlantic, we have the internet connection we need to make our #Titanic dive operations a success – thank you @Starlink! pic.twitter.com/sujBmPr3JD
— OceanGate Expeditions (@OceanGateExped) June 1, 2023
“A frantic marine search is underway for a missing tourist submersible which has not been seen since it launched to take five people to the Titanic wreckage yesterday morning,” said Rear Admiral John Mauger of the US Coast Guard’s ongoing search and rescue operation. “We’re working as hard as possible bringing all assets to bear to try and find the submersible. We began immediately to mobilize assets to search both the surface of the water, search from the air, and to detect any vessels under the water as well. We’ve had a comprehensive search to find these people.”
OceanGate announced earlier in June that it was proud to collaborate with Elon Musk and Starlink to provide its com systems as it sent its vessels deep into the ocean. “Despite being in the middle of the North Atlantic, we have the internet connection we need to make our #Titanic dive operations a success – thank you@Starlink!” the company tweeted on June 1.
It’s estimated that the five people aboard Titan have enough oxygen to last until 6 a.m. EST on Thursday, June 22. However, they will need outside assistance to get out of the submersible as they were bolted in from the outside.
