--- title: "OceanGate Ceases Ocean Exploration Following Submersible Disaster" description: "OceanGate has announced that it is suspending \"all exploration and commercial operations,\" ABC News reports." date: "2023-07-06" modified: "2023-07-06" authors: - name: "Frank Landymore" job_title: "Contributing Writer" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/flandymore" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/oceangate-ceases-exploration-submersible-disaster" categories: - "Future Society" tags: - "oceangate" - "submersibles" - "the digest" --- # OceanGate Ceases Ocean Exploration Following Submersible Disaster ![OceanGate has announced that it is suspending "all exploration and commercial operations," ABC News reports.]() *\Image: OceanGate Expeditions\* ## Time to Stop OceanGate has [announced]() that it is suspending "all exploration and commercial operations" [*ABC News* reports](), after its Titan submersible [horrendously imploded](), [killing all five people]() on board. The doomed submersible, piloted by OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush, was declared missing on June 18, when it lost contact less than two hours into its 12,500-foot descent to the wreck of the Titanic. After a four-day international search effort, remnants of the vessel were discovered near the site of the ruined ship, and as of last week, [debris containing presumed human remains]() was recovered by the US Coast Guard, who have since launched an investigation. OceanGate did not elaborate on its decision to cease operations, but its website, where the announcement was made, still advertises its $250,000 expeditions. ## Reckless Risk-Taking Though an official conclusion is pending, many alarming details surrounding the submersible's safety have already come to light — and none of them look good for OceanGate and its late CEO, who appears to have ignored countless warning signs. For one, it was uncovered that an OceanGate employee was fired years ago [after blowing the whistle]() on the submersible's "catastrophic" problems. Other cases of flaunted safety were more obvious. In a now-viral [interview](), Rush actually seemed to take pride in the [questionable construction]() of the submersible, showing off the [cheap Logitech gamepad]() that was used to control it. Rush had also reportedly bragged about [using expired carbon fiber]() to make the hull of the submersible — a material which, even in pristine condition, is [ill-suited]() for the job. Last year, the CEO even told a reporter that he thought that there was a point at which safety was "[just pure waste]()." ## Uncharted Territory An ongoing investigation led by the Coast Guard will have to determine what exactly went wrong with the submersible. It could be months, however, before we have any definitive answers. According to Tom Hauter, a former investigator for the National Transportation Safety Board, the nature of the submersible disaster is "uncharted territory." "This is the first fatality on a passenger carriage submarine I can think of and certainly the first one going into Titanic at this depth," **Hauter** told *ABC*. **More on the submersible disaster:** *[A Visibly Upset James Cameron Compares Submarine Implosion to Sinking of the Titanic]()* ## Author At Futurism, my work has often centered on bringing a sense of clarity and insight to complex topics ranging from the regulation of emerging technologies to the esoteric ideologies of Silicon Valley executives, while striving not to lose the poetic sense of awe inspired by often-obscure fields like astrophysics and quantum computing. I broke the story of CNET using AI to produce articles that turned out to be riddled with factual errors and plagiarism — a dam-breaking inflection point, as I've reported, that's inspired copycats and endless discourse while beguiling stakeholders ranging from tech giants to purveyors of spam around the web. My work at Futurism has been cited by publications including CBS News, the Los Angeles Times, Vice, Gizmodo, Engadget, the Verge, and Vanity Fair. I grew up in locales ranging from India to China, and now live in the exotic suburbs of Virginia. In my free time, I'm an avid reader of weird sci-fi literature, an aficionado of East Asian cinema, and, regrettably, a relapsed gamer. Allegedly, I’m working on a debut novel, currently untitled. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()