About This File
Titan is a Cyclops-class manned submersible designed to take five people to depths of 4,000 meters (13,123 feet) for site survey and inspection, research and data collection, film and media production, and deep sea testing of hardware and software. Designed and built by OceanGate, Inc. Titan provides a unique solution to the growing need for direct human observation, inspection and exploration in the deep ocean.
Titan is outfitted with state-of-the-art lighting and sonar navigation systems plus internally and externally mounted 4K video and photographic equipment. The interior provides ample space for additional monitoring, inspection, and data collection equipment.
All Cyclops class submersibles are equipped with an integrated launch and recovery platform. Operated similarly to a ship dry dock, the platform is used to launch and recover manned submersibles by flooding its flotation tanks with water for a controlled descent to a depths of 9.1 meters (30 feet) to avoid any surface turbulence. Once submerged, the platform uses a patented motion-dampening flotation system to remain coupled to the surface yet still provide a stable underwater platform from which our manned submersibles lift off of and return to after each dive. At the conclusion of each dive, the sub lands on the submerged platform and the entire system is brought to the surface in approximately two minutes by filling the ballast tanks with air. The launch and recovery platform is modular and easily transported using standard over-highway truck and trailer combinations. It can be cost-effectively deployed at sea because it does not require a large ship with a man-rated crane or A-frame to launch and recover the submersibles. This allows us to work in remote areas using smaller, locally available commercial ships at a much lower cost.