“I’d like to be remembered as an innovator,” he said, speaking from the interior of one of OceanGate’s submersibles. “I think it was [famous American General Douglas] MacArthur that said, ‘You’re remembered for the rules you break.’”

“I have broken some rules to make this,” he conceded. “I think I’ve broken them with logic and good engineering behind me. The carbon fiber and titanium—there is a rule that you don’t do that. Well, I did.”

  • May@kbin.social
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    1
    ·
    edit-2
    2 years ago

    Wow apparently that Alvin was built by General Mills! (Electronic division.) Like the cereal company. Also it say:

    In an emergency, if Alvin were stuck underwater with occupants inside, the outer body, or cladding, of the submersible could be released and discarded using controls inside the hull. The titanium sphere would then rise to the surface uncontrolled.

    That’s a good idea. I wonder if they just are not allowed to go on the alvin no matter how much they pay, and thats why they chose other option?

    • CarbonIceDragon@pawb.social
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      4
      ·
      2 years ago

      I wasn’t suggesting that they actually use that sub for their tour, the Alvin does have actual work it does (has made some pretty important contributions to science to my knowledge, for instance in visiting thermal vents) so I doubt they’d be allowed to just rent it out for sightseeing. Rather, I was more trying to point out using it as an example that building a reasonably safe and reliable sub for this kind of depth is not only possible, it has been for quite some time now. It reflects extremely poorly on the design and operators of the Titan that it could not.