How long does it take to get to the Titanic in a submarine? Distance, depth, and all about OceanGate submersible

A search and rescue mission is underway in the Atlantic Ocean for an OceanGate Expeditions vessel that was taking tourists to the submerged wreckage of the Titanic before going missing on Sunday, June 18, 2023. According to the Coast Guard, the 22-foot, 23,000-pound submersible is designed to support a crew of five for 96 hours. The vessel lost contact 1:45 hours into the trip on Sunday morning.

The company released a statement on Monday, confirming that it lost contact with its Cyclops-class submersible, named Titan:

"We are exploring and mobilizing all options to bring the crew back safely. Our entire focus is on the crewmembers in the submersible and their families. We are working toward the safe return of the crewmembers."

OceanGate takes passengers to the Titanic wreckage from the port located at St. John’s, Newfoundland, which is about 370 miles away. According to Fox Business, the entire trip takes eight days, of which the dive into the ocean and the ascent back takes about eight to ten hours. The cost of the eight-day trip, including the dive, is $250,000.

The unfortunate incident was the company's first mission to the Titanic this year due to unfavorable weather conditions.

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Titan can dive upto a depth of 13,123 ft, allowing it to reach the wreck of the Titanic which lies at 12,500 ft

According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, a submersible needs a support ship to launch and recover it as it does not have enough power, unlike a submarine. Titan is supported by the Polar Prince, a former Canadian Coast Guard icebreaker ship. Fox Business adds that the vessel utilizes SpaceX's Starlink satellite system to communicate while at sea.

While OceanGate has three submersibles, only Titan is capable of reaching the depth necessary to reach the Titanic wreckage.

World explorer Hamish Harding, Pakistani tech businessman Shanzada Dawood and his son Sulaiman, French diver and Titanic expert Paul-Henri Nargeolet, and OceanGate founder Stockton Rush, along with a pilot, were on board the submersible at the time of the incident.

David Pogue of CBS, who was in the control room of the submersible last year, explained that there was "no way" to communicate with it as GPS or radio doesn't work "underwater." He tweeted that one could send short messages when the ship was directly above the submersible.

Tweets by David Pogue (Image via Twitter/@Pogue, @tomokc405, @MarinusTrades)

Fox Business adds that the vessel is designed to surface automatically if it "encounters a technical problem." In his interview with BBC last year, Pogue explained that the passengers were sealed inside the vessel using bolts:

"There's no way to escape, even if you rise to the surface by yourself. You cannot get out of the sub without a crew on the outside letting you out."

David Marquet, a retired Navy submarine commander told ABC News that search and rescue would be more "time-consuming and complicated" if Titan is still submerged. He explained that rescuers would first have to locate the vessel and then find a way to safely extricate it.

He added that most submarines, including military attack submarines and rescue vessels cannot reach the depths that Titan can, further complicating the task.

Rescue efforts are still underway.