OceanGate will create a full 3D scan of the sunken Titanic

Seattle's OceanGate unveils itsplans for an underwater expedition to the place where the legendary transatlantic steamer Titanic rests. Since 1912, less than 200 people descended to the sunken ship, and the last expedition was completed in 2005. But OceanGate wants not only to admire the remains of the once giant liner, but also to create the most detailed 3D scan of the ship to document its status for the story. Nobody has done this yet.

The expedition is scheduled for spring 2018, and inIts course will use innovative Cyclops 2 underwater vehicles, as well as advanced scanning technologies. We can say that this is the most interesting project related to the Titanic since 1995, when submarine director James Cameron went down to the bottom of the ocean to personally inspect the remains of the liner and use this data to shoot his future Oscar-winning blockbuster.

“Documenting history is very important in itself.to myself. On the other hand, we would like to understand, for example, how the state of a metal that it spent a hundred years at great depth changes, and how these conditions affect other materials. “We want to evaluate the effects of currents, bacteria, nature and many other factors on a sunken ship,” said OceanGate founder Stockton Rush.

Take 3D pictures of high-resolution objectsUnderwater is quite difficult, and there are many reasons. The project will be attended by AIVL (Advanced Imaging and Visualization Laboratory) at the Oceanographic Institute in Falmouth, Massachusetts. The whole project should take about seven weeks, according to the statements of the organizers. Cyclops 2 underwater vehicles will be equipped with laser scanners, sonars and other means for shooting in conditions of limited visibility. Inside the apparatus is a team of five people, including a pilot, mission leader, as well as three experts, including marine biologists, archaeologists and other specialists.

In addition to experts, the Titanic will be able to come down andjust wanting to touch the legend. OceanGate openly sells tickets for an excursion to the place where the sunken ship rests. Such a ticket will cost $ 105,129. In total, 54 places for tourists were provided for the first expedition. True, all the tickets from the first batch have already scattered like hot cakes, bringing the company more than $ 5 million. The proceeds cover part of the costs of research liner.