If it isn't a composites issue there is also this bit "Notably, its 380-mm acrylic viewport, says Rush, is twice the size of any viewport on a competing submersible and should offer passengers unprecedented views of the waterscape." from here
If the viewport is only rated for 1300m that might cast a real shadow on all the traveller contracts that were signed. This might likely be the cause of a catastrophic failure. it's well beyond any factor of safety and the letter predates the 'voyage' by several months.
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So strange to see the singularity approaching while the entire planet is rapidly turning into a hellscape. -John Coates
The situation with the Titan is certainly dire but I see Stockton Rush and his company not as a bunch of wild cowboys shirking safety and collecting money. Stockton, the CEO of Oceangate, is the pilot of the submersible- he risks his life on technology he either designed, commissioned the design, assembled and/or participated in assembly. I think his piloting the vessel indicates he trusted the engineering and construction. Bravery and adventure are often tied together. Certainly, Oceangate is trying to commercialize deep water diving but innovation has a cost. The main choices are government grants or private investment. In what manner is what he is doing different than the past first steps by Barton and Beebe, Auguste and Jacques Piccard? They took risks and pushed boundaries. Just because the price tag of a ride is high does not mean this submersible and its operation is being done by idiots. Anyone who will design and build their own submersible or airplane or rocket and then get in it as the pilot has my respect. I hope for the best for the crew and passengers in Titan.
In one of the videos they said the viewport would fail optically before it failed catastrophically so the crew would know to abort. I don't know a lot about acrylic plastic but I do know it's prone to shattering which is why that obnoxious yellow turning polycarbonate is used for the lenses on the front of our cars.
I'm fairly certain that Barton and Beebe, Auguste and Jacques Piccard didn`t kill any tourist with their hubris or innovations. Stockton on the other hand, time will tell.
This former passenger mirrors the sentiment I heard expressed by David Pogue (who has also traveled in the Titan): those who sign up to go for a dive are not 'tourists' - they are paying to be explorers and are doing this with eyes wide open and with about eight pages of signed waivers and explanations of potential harm and/or death.
Those with money to spend are not necessarily less technically adept than those of us with less to spend. I don't think Oceangate has buffaloed any of its moneyed passengers into paying for a dive and fooling them into thinking this is a Princess cruise or risk-free.
I don't personally know Stockton Rush, nor am I informed enough to defend his motivations or pedigree but certainly the risk of what is being done at Oceangate is no different than the risk being taken by the private entrepreneurs and companies pushing to go into space.
Unfortunately it seems to be going the same way as the Kursk with ego's at play. Why on earth would you block a civilain support vessel from a NATO country?
Add to that no plan B or rescue capability. They only had one on the vessel so lose it and you can't send down another one to find it.
If there are sounds then it sounds a lot more like it is snagged or caught on something and doesn't have the capability or power to escape.
The reliability of the "safety" devices also seems rather questionable given there apparent off the shelf use of domestic or simple industrial components.
I still can't work out how any power or signals got from inside the craft to the units themselves. Were there ports on the titanium shell?
Remember - More details = better answers
Also: If you get a response it's polite to respond to it.
There are a few high pressure feed throughs,but no mechanical overrides.
In 2018 the company settled out of court, after an engineer repeatedly raised serious concerns about strength testing of the design, a design only rated for 1000 m.
It appears to have plenty of cameras and joy sticks.
AH-
Why would it have to go to the US? Canada is the nearest landmass and if it's flown to the US it's many hundreds of miles away, so wouldn't make it in time anyway (probably still wouldn't from anywhere). That's all considering that we know where it is and it can even be retrieved.
Don't get mad at me. Asking for a friend
Brad Waybright
The more you know, the more you know you don't know.
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