Behind the Tragedy of Titan: Lack of Regulatory Standards in the Private Submarine Industry Submarines | Titan | Private
After it was confirmed on the 22nd that the deep-sea submersible Titan of the United States had disintegrated underwater, resulting in the death of all five crew members, industry insiders pointed out that Titan had repeatedly carried out manned deep diving activities without third-party safety certification, once again questioning the lack of regulatory norms in the private submersible industry.
On the 22nd, US Coast Guard spokesperson John Major confirmed at a press conference the discovery of the wreckage of the Titan, inferring that the deep-sea vessel had experienced an "implosion". He also said, "Doubts about the applicable norms and standards in the industry are believed to be the focus of future reviews.".
Famous Hollywood director James Cameron also spoke out afterwards to accuse the design and manufacturer of the Titan, the American Ocean Gate Exploration Company, of disregarding safety warnings and refusing to allow the submersible to undergo standardized testing and certification by third-party organizations.
The Oscar winning film "Titanic" directed by Cameron is based on the true story of the luxury cruise ship "Titanic" sinking on its first voyage in the North Atlantic in April 1912, and the Titanic's trip was to investigate the wreckage of the ship. Cameron himself became an enthusiast of deep-sea exploration activities while conducting research for filming, and joined the development industry of manned submersibles, participating in investments in the Triton Deep Submersible Company in the United States.
Cameron stated that he supports regulatory agencies introducing regulations to enforce safety certification for submarines. "If a submersible is to carry passengers for diving, whether it is carrying scientific researchers or ordinary people, it should undergo safety certification."
Most submarines operating manned sightseeing activities only explore natural landscapes such as underwater coral reefs within 500 meters, while the wreckage of the Titanic is more than 3800 meters underwater. Will Konen, Chairman of the Manned Submarine Committee of the American Society of Marine Technology, said that currently, there are about 10 deep submersibles worldwide designed to reach this diving depth, and only the Titan has not been certified by third-party organizations such as the US Marine Service and European DNV.
As early as 2018, Konen wrote a letter to Stockton Rush, CEO of Ocean Gate Exploration Company, warning that if the under development Titan does not accept third-party certification, its safety will be difficult to guarantee and may lead to "catastrophic" consequences. Rush did not heed this suggestion. In this fatal accident, Rush personally served as the helmsman of the Titan and died along with four other customers who each purchased $250000 worth of tickets.
Oliver Kate, President of Deep Dive, a consulting firm based in Costa Rica, said that regulatory authorities should focus on developing operational standards such as diving methods and time conditions for submarines. However, so far, no government has issued regulations for the manufacture of private submarines.
Justin Manley, President of the Society for Marine Technology, pointed out that the Titan accident may lead to strengthened regulation, but it involves vast oceans, especially in the high seas, which are difficult to manage with unified regulations.
Konen said in an interview with the British Broadcasting Corporation that the industry's voluntary compliance with regulations is "written with blood.". "We only become smarter when we remember what we wrote and what mistakes we made last time."
However, faced with doubts from industry insiders about the lack of certification for the Titan, Gilmore Zernlein, who co founded the Ocean Gate exploration company with Rush in 2009 and left four years later, defended Rush, stating that he was not as reckless as the outside world accused.
He said in an interview with British media that Rush "places great emphasis on safety and takes great care in risk management, being very alert to the dangers of operating submersibles in deep-sea environments.".
He refuted Cameron's criticism and pointed out that Cameron himself had participated in multiple deep-sea diving activities, including more than 30 inspections of the wreckage of the Titanic, as well as exploring the deepest part of the Mariana Trench in the Pacific Ocean. Cameron was well aware of the hidden risks associated with such activities.
Zeeland emphasized that it is too early to speculate on the fate of the Titan, and developing globally applicable industry standards for deep submersibles is a tricky task. But he is certain that deep-sea exploration will not stop because of this. "Just like space exploration, the best way to preserve the memories and heritage of the five explorers is to conduct investigations, identify where the problems lie, learn from them, and continue moving forward."
