‘We Didn't Think We Were Going to Build Our Own Subs:’ OceanGate Co-Founder | WSJ

I think over time, Stockton just realized that the only way we were going to be able to help humanity unlock the secrets of the ocean was to get past the regulations and just prove that it could be done as safely as possible. What happened on June 18 may have proved something very different. Stockton Rush CEO of Ocean Gate expeditions piloted a Submersible named Titan on a mission to view the wreck of the Titanic. Hours later, the Titan imploded, killing all five aboard the US Coast Guard has opened its highest level investigation into the incident. As experts question whether flaws in the Titan's design led to its demise. The journal sat down with Guillermo Sole Ocean Gates, co founder to discuss what he knows about Rush the Titan and the vision they had for the company. When I first met Stockton, he struck me as a very intelligent person. He also struck me as a very savvy engineer. Rush and Sun Line started Ocean Gate expeditions in 2009 after leaving the company in 2013, Sun Line remained as a minority shareholder. Initially, we didn't think we were going to build our own subs, we thought we were going to get somebody else to build our subs, the industry standard just wouldn't allow for them to build what we felt we needed and what we thought humanity needed to explore the oceans. Ocean Gate wanted a bigger Submersible that could fit up to five people. The Titan was in development in 2018 after Sun Line's departure, three years later, the vessel was deployed on its first trip to the Titanic in a 2022 CBS. News report rush showed off the Titan and what he described as its off the shelf components. I got these from Camper World. We run the whole thing with this game controller. While experts say nearly all submersibles that explore the high pressure environment of the deep ocean are made with either Titanium or high end steel Ocean Gate. Decided to incorporate carbon fiber in the Titan's body raising questions in the diving community discussing the whole. In a 2021 interview rush struck a defiant tone. You know, I've broken some rules to make this. I think I've broken them with logic and good engineering. Behind me, the carbon fiber and Titanium. There's a rule you don't do that. Well, I did. His thoughts about breaking the rules is really about thinking outside the box and coming up with innovative solutions internally, we always called ourselves spacex for the oceans. Elon is doing the same thing at spacex, right? Most Submersible manufacturers opt for a third party verification to ensure the integrity of its design and construction. A process. Ocean Gate didn't follow industry. Insiders warned the company in 2018 that this could risk a potentially catastrophic failure. Ocean Gate didn't respond to the journal's request for comment. The US Coast Guard said its investigation could lead to civil or criminal penalties. It's unclear how long it will take to uncover what exactly happened to the lost Titan.

Channel: The Wall Street Journal

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Id: mXc5tZqMZ3o

Length: 3min 9sec (189 seconds)

Published: Tue Jun 27 2023