– The Atalante and its Victor 6000 robot have arrived at the Titan’s search area
The French ship linked to its robot, capable of diving to the wreckage of the Titanic, is one of the last hopes of finding the submersible in time.
Posted today at 2:07 p.m.
All communication was lost with the 6.5-meter Titan during its June 18 descent to Titanic, which lies at a depth of crushing pressure more than four kilometers below the surface of the North Atlantic.
AFP PHOTO/OceanGate Expeditions
The French oceanographic ship Atalante with its underwater robot Victor 6000 arrived Thursday, according to the Ifremer institute, on the search area for the submarine Titan, reported missing during an attempt to visit the wreck of the Titanic.
The Atalante, operated by the French Institute for the Exploitation of the Sea (Ifremer), “is currently using its multibeam sounder to have a finer mapping of the landscape and allow a more efficient Victor 6000 dive”.
“However, this sounder will not allow the submarine to be located”, still according to Ifremer. The Titan, missing since its dive on Sunday with five crew members to the wreckage located at 3800 meters deep, has a theoretical autonomy of 96 hours. Its oxygen reserves could be depleted quickly.
“Main Hope”
Submersible search operations and communication are the responsibility of the US Coast Guard, which is to hold a press briefing at 6:30 p.m. GMT on Thursday.
The Victor 6000 underwater robot is the only vehicle in the area capable of diving down to the wreck. It is remotely operated from the Atalante, via a cable which gives it theoretically unlimited autonomy.
This robot is the “main hope” for a possible rescue mission, British Antarctic Survey marine expert Rob Larter told a press conference on Thursday.
A condition
Victor 6000 has two articulated arms that can allow it to attach a cable to the Titan if necessary to hoist it to the surface, explained Alistair Greig, professor of marine engineering at University College London, during this press conference.
The robot also has a powerful lighting system that could help it locate the Titan in a completely dark environment.
Provided you know where to look, which does not yet seem to be the case, according to these experts.
“Rescue” operations
The US Coast Guard said it was continuing “rescue” operations on Thursday for a submersible and its five missing occupants near the wreck of the Titanic, despite the feared depletion of oxygen supplies.
“We continue to see in particularly complex cases that people’s will to live really needs to be taken into account as well. And so we continue to search and continue our rescue efforts,” Rear Admiral John Mauger, head of search operations, told NBC.
AFP
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