Deepsea Challenger Design vs. Titan, and Lessons?
The issues about Titan’s hull thickness and window pressure rating have been brought up a lot. And the general sense of recklessness and/or “too much” risk-taking by its founder/CEO. Therefore I won’t personally focus on those aspects here. A more thorough disaster investigation may help to settle whether one or more were in fact the proximate cause of this tragedy. I wanted to consider other potential take-aways.
AND I won’t repeat the great details and analysis in this Twitter thread:
https://twitter.com/LadyDoctorSays/status/1671700989429297152
Or in this key one with James Cameron:
https://twitter.com/cfishman/status/1672034854198804480
Instead, I’ll try to add my own little bit.
For example, one observation:
The engineer in me finds it interesting that Deepsea Challenger -- the 1st sub to reach the deepest point in the ocean, successfully, and survive -- is a primarily *vertically* shaped/oriented sub. Not a "horizontal tube" like most other deep subs are (like the Titan, now confirmed lost, tragically, with all souls.)
Makes me wonder if it gives the D.C. any advantage? Less cross-section drag by water (esp under extreme pressure) -- at least while doing the 2 *most* important and absolutely necessary parts of its missions:
1. GOING DOWN. VERY VERY VERY DOWN
2. GOING BACK UP. VERY VERY VERY UP. AFTERWARDS. no matter what
thoughts? insights? counter-points? refutations?
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