OceanGate

File:Stockton Rush (cropped 2).png, CEO and co-founder]]

Stockton Rush had an interest in aviation and space travel as a child, and obtained a commercial pilot's license when he was 18 years old.{{cite magazine |title=A Deep Dive Into the Plans to Take Tourists to the 'Titanic' |author=Perrottet, Tony |magazine=Smithsonian |date=June 2019 |url=https://www.smithsonianmag.com/innovation/worlds-first-deep-diving-submarine-plans-tourists-see-titanic-180972179/ |access-date=June 21, 2023 |archive-date=May 30, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190530030943/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/innovation/worlds-first-deep-diving-submarine-plans-tourists-see-titanic-180972179/ |url-status=live }} As an adult, his interests pivoted to undersea exploration. Rush built a fortune by investing his inheritance in technological businesses and decided to purchase a submarine, but discovered that he was unable to, as there were fewer than 100 privately owned submarines worldwide.{{Cite news |last=Latona |first=David |title=Titanic sub firm's late CEO was committed to safety, says co-founder |language=en |work=Reuters |date=June 23, 2023 |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/titanic-sub-firms-late-ceo-was-committed-safety-says-co-founder-2023-06-23/ |access-date=June 25, 2023 |archive-date=June 25, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230625051006/https://www.reuters.com/world/titanic-sub-firms-late-ceo-was-committed-safety-says-co-founder-2023-06-23/ |url-status=live }} He instead built one from plans in 2006, a Kittredge K-350, which he named Suds.{{cite web |title=Manned Submersibles |website=OceanGate |url=http://www.opentheoceans.com/mannedsubmersibles.htm |url-status=usurped |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110830131942/http://www.opentheoceans.com/mannedsubmersibles.htm |archive-date=August 30, 2011}}{{cite web |title=Meet the Pilots Series: Stockton Rush |date=June 18, 2020 |url=https://oceangate.com/news-and-media/blog/2020-0618-meet-the-pilots-series-stockton-rush.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230619195820/https://oceangate.com/news-and-media/blog/2020-0618-meet-the-pilots-series-stockton-rush.html |archive-date=June 19, 2023}}

Rush believed that undersea exploration was an underserved market, due to, in his opinion, an unwarranted reputation of submersibles as dangerous vehicles. He criticized the Passenger Vessel Safety Act of 1993 as "needlessly prioritiz[ing] passenger safety over commercial innovation".{{cite web |title=Submarine Safety |website=OceanGate |url=http://www.opentheoceans.com/safety.htm |url-status=usurped |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111008001125/http://www.opentheoceans.com/safety.htm |archive-date=October 8, 2011}} In an address before The Explorers Club in 2017, he termed submersibles "the safest vehicles on the planet". Non-certified vehicles were more dangerous, as demonstrated by at least one fatality involving a homemade submersible in 1990.{{cite news |title=Do-it-yourself ahoogah |author=Lisagor, Kimberly |newspaper=Los Angeles Times |url-access=limited |date=April 6, 2004 |url=https://www.latimes.com/style/la-os-sub6apr06-story.html |access-date=June 26, 2023 |archive-date=June 26, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230626154453/https://www.latimes.com/style/la-os-sub6apr06-story.html |url-status=live }}

Rush commissioned a marketing study that concluded there was sufficient demand for underwater ocean tourism.{{cite news |title=Deep sea tourism could become a thing soon |author=Fecht, Sarah |work=Popular Science |date=April 17, 2017 |url=https://www.popsci.com/deep-sea-tourism/ |access-date=June 20, 2023 |archive-date=June 20, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230620201914/https://www.popsci.com/deep-sea-tourism/ |url-status=live }}{{cite news |last1=Latona |first1=David |title=Titanic sub firm's late CEO was committed to safety, says co-founder |work=Reuters |date=June 23, 2023 |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/titanic-sub-firms-late-ceo-was-committed-safety-says-co-founder-2023-06-23/ |access-date=June 23, 2023 |archive-date=June 23, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230623155245/https://www.reuters.com/world/titanic-sub-firms-late-ceo-was-committed-safety-says-co-founder-2023-06-23/ |url-status=live }}

File:Historic Catalina Island Yacht Club and Casino from Avalon Harbor.jpg

OceanGate was initiated by Guillermo Söhnlein and Stockton Rush in Seattle in 2009.{{cite news |title=Cyclops Submersible Brings Deep-Water Exploration to the 21st Century |publisher=NBC News |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/science/science-news/cyclops-submersible-brings-deep-water-exploration-21st-century-n321726 |access-date=April 13, 2022 |archive-date=April 13, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220413170645/https://www.nbcnews.com/science/science-news/cyclops-submersible-brings-deep-water-exploration-21st-century-n321726 |url-status=live }}{{cite news |last1=Ghosh |first1=Shona |title=OceanGate cofounder: Titanic sub passengers can survive past the time their oxygen is meant to run out |work=Insider |url=https://www.insider.com/oceangate-cofounder-passengers-can-survive-after-oxygen-cut-off-time-2023-6 |access-date=June 22, 2023 |archive-date=June 23, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230623030125/https://www.insider.com/oceangate-cofounder-passengers-can-survive-after-oxygen-cut-off-time-2023-6 |url-status=live }}{{cite news |last1=Latona |first1=David |title=Titanic sub firm's late CEO was committed to safety, says co-founder |publisher=Reuters |date=June 23, 2023 |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/titanic-sub-firms-late-ceo-was-committed-safety-says-co-founder-2023-06-23/ |access-date=June 23, 2023 |archive-date=June 23, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230623155245/https://www.reuters.com/world/titanic-sub-firms-late-ceo-was-committed-safety-says-co-founder-2023-06-23/ |url-status=live }}{{cite web |title=OceanGate co-founder: 'There's a lack of regulation on Titanic trips' |website=Youtube |publisher=Times Radio |date=June 23, 2023 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ApoO-EBeM0E&t=15s |access-date=June 23, 2023 |archive-date=June 23, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230623154018/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ApoO-EBeM0E&t=15s |url-status=live }} According to Söhnlein, the company was founded with the intention of creating a small fleet of 5-person commercial submersibles that could be leased by any organization or group of individuals. In 2023 he told Sky News, "The whole intent was to create a small fleet of work submersibles. And in that way, as our tagline was in the early days, 'Open the oceans for all of humanity.'"{{cite web |title=Submersible Deaths: OceanGate directors 'will be considering company's survival'- Co-founder |website=Youtube |date=June 23, 2023 |publisher=Sky News |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pM5cs85lsZc&t=442s |access-date=June 23, 2023 |archive-date=June 23, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230623154831/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pM5cs85lsZc&t=442s |url-status=live }}

The company's first submersible was Antipodes, a used 5-person vessel with a steel hull. Between 2010 and 2013 the company performed an estimated 130 dives with Antipodes. The company's business model involved renting out its submersible to researchers, and taking tourists—whom the company referred to as "citizen scientists"—on underwater excursions. Söhnlein estimated in 2012 that passengers typically paid between $7,500 and $40,000 per person, depending on the excursion.

OceanGate's first tourist excursion was conducted in 2010 when the company began transporting paying customers. The company took tourist groups to Catalina Island off the coast of California. To improve the experience, the company began bringing expert guides aboard the dives. According to Rush, "People would ask me about a fish, and I wouldn't know anything about it." The company first included marine biologists as expert guides and, according to Rush, "The difference was night and day. Their excitement permeated the sub."

In 2010 OceanGate worked with the University of Washington for the first time. The university utilized Antipodes to perform trials of novel sonar equipment and robotic arms. The following year, Antipodes was used to survey and map the wreckage of the SS Governor, a ship that had sunk in Puget Sound in 1921.{{cite web |title=Puget Sound shipwreck could help prevent oil spill | KING5.com Seattle |publisher=King5.com |url=http://www.king5.com/news/environment/Puget-Sound-Wreck-Helps-Prevent-Oil-Spill-124522229.html |access-date=August 19, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120802000124/http://www.king5.com/news/environment/Puget-Sound-Wreck-Helps-Prevent-Oil-Spill-124522229.html |archive-date=August 2, 2012}}

In 2012 and 2013 OceanGate operated for a year in Miami, Florida. Collaborating with Miami-Dade Artificial Reefs Program, researchers aboard Antipodes investigated the spread of lionfish.{{cite news |last=Lackner |first=Catherine |title=Sub caters to adventurers with zest to learn |work=Miami Today |date=July 5, 2012 |url=http://www.miamitodaynews.com/news/120705/story2.shtml |access-date=June 26, 2023 |archive-date=September 19, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210919131722/https://www.miamitodaynews.com/news/120705/story2.shtml |url-status=live }}{{cite news |last1=Fins |first1=Antonio |title=Missing submarine: Company behind Titanic tour spent a year in South Florida |publisher=The St. Augustine Record |date=June 21, 2023 |url=https://www.staugustine.com/story/news/2023/06/21/titanic-missing-submarine-oceangate-led-south-florida-lionfish-search/70341746007/ |access-date=June 26, 2023 |archive-date=June 26, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230626215755/https://www.staugustine.com/story/news/2023/06/21/titanic-missing-submarine-oceangate-led-south-florida-lionfish-search/70341746007/ |url-status=live }}

In 2013 the company began to design its own submersibles with unique designs that were allegedly cost effective. Söhnlein quit the company that same year, saying that OceanGate had transitioned from its initial phase to Rush's specialty of engineering. Söhnlein retained a minority stake.{{cite news |last1=Hubler |first1=Shawn |title=OceanGate Founder Pushed to Expand Deep Sea Travel Despite Chorus of Concerns |work=New York Times |date=June 23, 2023 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2023/06/23/us/stockton-rush-oceangate-titanic-sub.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230624003828/https://www.nytimes.com/2023/06/23/us/stockton-rush-oceangate-titanic-sub.html |archive-date=June 24, 2023}}

OceanGate worked on the design of its first custom-built submersible Cyclops, later named Cyclops 1, in collaboration with the University of Washington and Boeing.{{cite news |title=UW, local company building innovative deep-sea manned submarine |author=Hickey, Hannah |work=UW News |date=October 8, 2013 |url=https://www.washington.edu/news/2013/10/08/uw-local-company-building-innovative-deep-sea-manned-submarine/ |access-date=June 20, 2023 |archive-date=June 20, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230620194503/https://www.washington.edu/news/2013/10/08/uw-local-company-building-innovative-deep-sea-manned-submarine/ |url-status=live }} The hull was planned to be a carbon fiber hull, but OceanGate instead acquired a 12-year-old vessel Lula from a company in Azores. It extracted the cylindrical steel hull of the Lula and used it to create Cyclops 1.{{cite web |title=OceanGate Inc. Transforms Lula 500-meter Submersible to Cyclops 500 Prototype |publisher=OceanGate |date=February 13, 2014 |url=https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/oceangate-inc-transforms-lula-500-meter-submersible-to-cyclops-500-prototype-245362561.html |access-date=June 26, 2023 |archive-date=June 26, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230626225637/https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/oceangate-inc-transforms-lula-500-meter-submersible-to-cyclops-500-prototype-245362561.html |url-status=live }} Cyclops was unveiled in 2015. The same year, the company relocated its headquarters to the Port of Everett's Waterfront Center office space in Everett, Washington.{{cite news|title=Submarine firm will move to Everett waterfront|first=Dan|last=Catchpole|newspaper=The Everett Herald|date=Feb 18, 2015|url=https://www.heraldnet.com/business/submarine-firm-will-move-to-everett-waterfront/|access-date=July 5, 2023|archive-date=July 5, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230705190746/https://www.heraldnet.com/business/submarine-firm-will-move-to-everett-waterfront/|url-status=live}}{{cite news |last1=Brown |first1=Andrea |last2=Podsada |first2=Janice |title=OceanGate's neighbors, used to privacy, thrust into the spotlight |work=The Everett Herald |date=June 22, 2023 |url=https://www.heraldnet.com/news/oceangates-neighbors-used-to-privacy-thrust-into-the-spotlight/ |access-date=June 22, 2023 |archive-date=June 22, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230622102222/https://www.heraldnet.com/news/oceangates-neighbors-used-to-privacy-thrust-into-the-spotlight/ |url-status=live }}

OceanGate ordered the first titanium components for Cyclops 2 in December 2016,{{cite news |title=OceanGate starts building submersible craft that can take crews 13,000 feet deep |author=Boyle, Alan |work=GeekWire |date=December 9, 2016 |url=https://www.geekwire.com/2016/oceangate-submersible-cyclops-2-construction/ |access-date=June 20, 2023 |archive-date=June 20, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230620193117/https://www.geekwire.com/2016/oceangate-submersible-cyclops-2-construction/ |url-status=live }} and let a contract to Spencer Composites in January 2017 to design and build the cylindrical carbon fiber hull.{{cite news |title=Composite submersibles: Under pressure in deep, deep waters |work=Composites World |author=Sloan, Jeff |date=May 10, 2017 |url=https://www.compositesworld.com/articles/composite-submersibles-under-pressure-in-deep-deep-waters |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210804224656/http://www.compositesworld.com/articles/composite-submersibles-under-pressure-in-deep-deep-waters |archive-date=August 4, 2021}} In March 2018, Cyclops 2 was renamed to Titan;{{cite news |author=Neely, Samantha |date=June 21, 2023 |title=Florida couple filed lawsuit against OceanGate CEO for canceled Titanic trip. What we know |work=The News-Press |url=https://www.jacksonville.com/story/news/2023/06/21/winter-park-florida-couple-sues-oceangate-ceo-for-titanic-trip/70340794007/ |access-date=June 21, 2023 |archive-date=June 21, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230621160911/https://www.jacksonville.com/story/news/2023/06/21/winter-park-florida-couple-sues-oceangate-ceo-for-titanic-trip/70340794007/ |url-status=live }} Rush described it as "an amazing engineering feat" during its launch in 2018.{{youTube |id=Q0D-0I5DcVY |title=Titanic sub: What could have caused the implosion of the vessel?}}, reported by Eric Sorensen for Global News on June 23, 2023 Testing of Titan to its maximum intended depth of {{cvt|4000|m}} occurred in 2018 and 2019.

In 2019, OceanGate said they were planning to develop the successor submersibles Cyclops 3 and Cyclops 4 with a targeted maximum depth of {{cvt|6000|m}},{{cite press release |title=OceanGate to Build Two New Submersibles for Deep Ocean Exploration, Research and Commercial Operations to Titanic Depths and Beyond |publisher=OceanGate |date=October 29, 2019 |url=https://oceangate.com/news-and-media/press-releases/2019-1029-oceangate-to-build-two-new-submersibles.html |access-date=June 20, 2023 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230620191805/https://oceangate.com/news-and-media/press-releases/2019-1029-oceangate-to-build-two-new-submersibles.html |archive-date=June 20, 2023}} and in early 2020 announced that the development and manufacturing of the hulls would be performed at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama.{{cite press release |title=NASA and OceanGate Enter into an Agreement to Collaborate in the Development, Manufacturing and Testing of New Carbon Fiber Pressure Vessels |publisher=OceanGate |date=February 26, 2020 |url=https://oceangate.com/news-and-media/press-releases/2020-0226-nasa-and-oceangate-enter-into-an-agreement-to-collaborate.html |access-date=June 20, 2023 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230620191808/https://oceangate.com/news-and-media/press-releases/2020-0226-nasa-and-oceangate-enter-into-an-agreement-to-collaborate.html |archive-date=June 20, 2023}} The submersibles would be funded by a new round of investments by "100% insiders" totaling $18.1{{nbsp}}million, as announced in January 2020.{{cite news |title=OceanGate raises $18M to build a bigger submersible fleet and set up Titanic trips |author=Boyle, Alan |work=GeekWire |date=January 9, 2020 |url=https://www.geekwire.com/2020/oceangate-raises-18m-build-bigger-submersible-fleet-get-set-titanic-trips/ |access-date=June 20, 2023 |archive-date=June 19, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230619221316/https://www.geekwire.com/2020/oceangate-raises-18m-build-bigger-submersible-fleet-get-set-titanic-trips/ |url-status=live }} NASA's participation was by a Space Act Agreement intended to further "deep-space exploration goals" and "improve materials and manufacturing for American industry" according to John Vickers.{{cite news |title=OceanGate and NASA are teaming up to build better carbon-fiber pressure vessels |author=Boyle, Alan |work=GeekWire |date=February 26, 2020 |url=https://www.geekwire.com/2020/oceangate-nasa-teaming-build-better-carbon-fiber-pressure-vessels/ |access-date=June 22, 2023 |archive-date=June 22, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230622073102/https://www.geekwire.com/2020/oceangate-nasa-teaming-build-better-carbon-fiber-pressure-vessels/ |url-status=live }} A NASA spokesperson stated in 2023 that NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center had a Space Act Agreement with OceanGate, but it "did not conduct testing and manufacturing via its workforce or facilities".{{cite news |last1=Mayor |first1=Grace |title=Boeing and University of Washington deny OceanGate's claim that they helped design the lost Titan sub |url=https://www.businessinsider.com/boeing-university-of-washington-deny-helping-design-oceangate-titan-submersible-2023-6 |access-date=22 June 2023 |work=Business Insider |date=22 June 2022 |archive-date=28 June 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230628151838/https://www.businessinsider.com/boeing-university-of-washington-deny-helping-design-oceangate-titan-submersible-2023-6 |url-status=live}}

In spring 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, OceanGate applied for, and received, a PPP loan for approx. $450,000, based on 22 jobs.{{Cite web |last=Willis |first=Moiz Syed,Derek |date=2020-07-07 |title=OCEANGATE, INC. - Tracking PPP |url=https://projects.propublica.org/coronavirus/bailouts/loans/oceangate-inc-2458707102 |access-date=2023-07-01 |website=ProPublica |language=en}}

In 2021 and 2022, OceanGate conducted dives to the Titanic aboard its submersible Titan.

{{main|Titan submersible implosion|l1 = Titan submersible implosion}}

File:Oceangate website july 2023.jpg

Titan imploded during an expedition to the Titanic in June 2023, killing all five occupants including CEO Stockton Rush. After a four-day search and rescue operation by an international team led by the United States Coast Guard, U.S. Navy, and Canadian Coast Guard,{{Cite web |date=20 June 2023 |title=Unified Command established for missing submersible from Polar Prince |url=https://www.news.uscg.mil/Press-Releases/Article/3433572/unified-command-established-for-missing-submersible-from-polar-prince/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230621015357/https://www.news.uscg.mil/Press-Releases/Article/3433572/unified-command-established-for-missing-submersible-from-polar-prince/ |archive-date=21 June 2023 |access-date=21 June 2023 |website=United States Coast Guard |language=en-US}} a debris field was discovered containing parts of Titan, about {{convert|1600|ft|m|order=flip|sigfig=1}} from the bow of the Titanic.{{Cite news |last1=Liebermann |first1=Oren |last2=Britzky |first2=Haley |date=20 June 2023 |title=US military moving military and commercial assets to help submersible search efforts |publisher=CNN |url=https://www.cnn.com/americas/live-news/titanic-submersible-missing-search-06-20-23/h_986e7fa7d849e30d0b1b92c7e8114947 |access-date=20 June 2023 |archive-date=21 June 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230621120210/https://www.cnn.com/americas/live-news/titanic-submersible-missing-search-06-20-23/h_986e7fa7d849e30d0b1b92c7e8114947 |url-status=live}}

Upon news of the fate of Titan, the company closed its Everett office indefinitely. Soon after the implosion, its subsidiary OceanGate Expeditions also suspended operations.{{Cite news |last=Ansari |first=Talal |date=2023-07-06 |title=OceanGate Suspends Operations After Titan Submersible Implosion That Killed 5 |language=en-US |work=Wall Street Journal |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/oceangate-suspends-all-operations-after-titan-submersible-implosion-that-killed-5-a1b0dd26 |access-date=2023-07-06 |issn=0099-9660 |archive-date=July 6, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230706183257/https://www.wsj.com/articles/oceangate-suspends-all-operations-after-titan-submersible-implosion-that-killed-5-a1b0dd26 |url-status=live }} From July 2023, OceanGate's websites defaulted to a message advising: "OceanGate has suspended all exploration and commercial operations."{{Cite web |last=Tan |first=Kwan Wei Kevin |title=OceanGate tried to scrub the internet clean of traces that it ever existed, taking down its Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn pages |url=https://www.insider.com/oceangate-take-down-website-social-media-suspend-commercial-operations-2023-7 |access-date=2023-07-16 |website=Insider |language=en-US|archive-url=https://archive.today/20230714135941/https://www.insider.com/oceangate-take-down-website-social-media-suspend-commercial-operations-2023-7|archive-date=14 July 2023}}

OceanGate owned three submersibles. The Cyclops 1 and Titan submersibles were launched and recovered from a dry dock-like "Launch and Recovery Platform" that could be towed behind a commercial vessel.{{cite patent |country=US |status=Patent |number=9381980B1 |title=Systems and methods for launching and retrieving objects in aquatic environments; platforms for aquatic launch and retrieval |inventor=Richard Stockton Rush, III |assign=OceanGate Inc. |pridate=August 7, 2014 |pubdate=July 5, 2016 |url=https://patents.google.com/patent/US9381980B1 }} {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230624150130/https://patents.google.com/patent/US9381980B1 |date=June 24, 2023 }} Once the platform and submersible reach the target location, the platform's flotation tanks are flooded and it sinks below the surface turbulence to a depth of {{cvt|9|m}}.{{cite web |title=Titan 5-Person Submersible {{!}} 4,000 meters |url=https://oceangate.com/pdf/oceangate-titan-specs-lr.pdf |publisher=OceanGate |access-date=June 20, 2023 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://wayback.archive-it.org/all/20230626154954/https://oceangate.com/pdf/oceangate%2Dtitan%2Dspecs%2Dlr.pdf |archive-date=June 26, 2023 }} The submersible then lifts off for its underwater mission. Upon the submersible's return to the platform, the flotation tanks are pumped out and the platform can be taken back into tow or brought aboard the host vessel. That allows OceanGate to use vessels without human-rated cranes.{{cite web |title=Cyclops 1 5-Person Submersible {{!}} 500 meters |url=https://oceangate.com/pdf/oceangate-cyclops1-specs.pdf |publisher=OceanGate |access-date=June 20, 2023 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230622111402/https://oceangate.com/pdf/oceangate-cyclops1-specs.pdf |archive-date=June 22, 2023}} The platform is approximately {{cvt|35|ft|order=flip}} long and {{cvt|15|ft|order=flip}} wide and can lift up to {{cvt|20000|lbs|order=flip}};{{cite web |title=Launch and Recovery Platform |publisher=OceanGate |url=https://oceangate.com/our-subs/launch-recovery-platform.html |access-date=June 20, 2023 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230622104102/https://oceangate.com/our-subs/launch-recovery-platform.html |archive-date=June 22, 2023}} it is based on a concept developed by the Hawaii Undersea Research Laboratory.

{{Main|Antipodes (submersible){{!}}Antipodes (submersible)}}

File:Antipodes Submersible.jpg]]

Antipodes is a steel-hulled submersible capable of reaching depths of {{convert|1000|ft|m|order=flip|sp=us}}, acquired by OceanGate in 2010.{{cite news |last1=Boyle |first1=Alan |title=Inside the submarine factory: OceanGate builds a craft to visit the Titanic shipwreck, again and again |publisher=GeekWire |date=September 23, 2017 |url=https://www.geekwire.com/2017/inside-submarine-factory-oceangate-builds-craft-visit-titanic-shipwreck/}} OceanGate transported its first paying customers in the vessel in 2010 off the coast of Catalina Island in California. The submersible was later contracted to expeditions to explore corals, lionfish populations in Florida, and a former oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico. By 2013 OceanGate had made over 130 dives with the vessel.{{cite news |last1=Reznick |first1=Alisa |title=Company plans carbon-fiber sub to dive deeply, cheaply |publisher=The Seattle Times |date=October 31, 2013 |url=https://www.seattletimes.com/business/company-plans-carbon-fiber-sub-to-dive-deeply-cheaply/ |access-date=June 23, 2023 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230622130420/https://www.seattletimes.com/business/company-plans-carbon-fiber-sub-to-dive-deeply-cheaply/ |archive-date=June 22, 2023}}{{cite news |title=OceanGate Expeditions Was Created to Explore Deep Waters |author=Betts, Anna |work=The New York Times |date=June 19, 2023 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2023/06/19/us/oceangate-lost-submarine-titanic.html |access-date=June 20, 2023 |archive-date=June 21, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230621144010/https://www.nytimes.com/2023/06/19/us/oceangate-lost-submarine-titanic.html |url-status=live }}

File:Trent Tresch Submarine Research Dive.jpg. ]]

In March 2015, OceanGate unveiled the Cyclops 1, a 5-person steel-hulled submersible capable of diving up to {{convert|500|m|sp=us|-1}} under water. It measures approximately {{convert|22|ft|order=flip|abbr=in}} long and {{convert|9|ft|order=flip|abbr=in}} wide, and weighs about {{convert|20000|lb|order=flip|abbr=in}}. Its name was inspired by its strengthened acrylic window. The submersible is steered by a modified wireless game controller, and the vessel has a battery life of up to eight hours.{{cite news |title=An ambassador to Neptune's kingdom |newspaper=The Economist |date=March 19, 2015 |url=https://www.economist.com/science-and-technology/2015/03/19/an-ambassador-to-neptunes-kingdom |access-date=October 5, 2015 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150320021011/http://www.economist.com/news/science-and-technology/21646717-new-miniature-submarine-will-mean-aquanauts-can-visit-abyss-comfort |archive-date=March 20, 2015}}{{cite web |title=Xconomy: OceanGate Unveils Cyclops Sub to Help Businesses, Researchers Go Deep |website=Xconomy |date=March 9, 2015 |url=https://xconomy.com/seattle/2015/03/09/oceangate-unveils-cyclops-sub-to-help-businesses-researchers-go-deep/ |access-date=April 13, 2022 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220816133112/https://xconomy.com/seattle/2015/03/09/oceangate-unveils-cyclops-sub-to-help-businesses-researchers-go-deep/ |archive-date=August 16, 2022}} The vessel has been used for various commercial and academic expeditions.{{cite news |last1=Boyle |first1=Alan |title=Here's what it's like to steer an OceanGate submersible ... no, not the missing sub |publisher=GeekWire |date=June 20, 2023 |url=https://www.geekwire.com/2023/steer-oceangate-submersible/ |access-date=June 23, 2023 |archive-date=June 23, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230623225624/https://www.geekwire.com/2023/steer-oceangate-submersible/ |url-status=live }}

OceanGate created Cyclops 1 in collaboration with the University of Washington's Applied Physics Laboratory; Boeing worked with OceanGate and the University of Washington for initial design analysis.{{cite web |title=Joint Venture to Produce Manned Submersible |website=apl.uw.edu |url=https://apl.uw.edu/project/project.php?id=oceangate |access-date=April 13, 2022 |archive-date=June 26, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220626072802/https://apl.uw.edu/project/project.php?id=oceangate |url-status=live }} In the initial design, the hull was to be made of carbon fiber, but this idea was abandoned in favor of a steel hull. OceanGate acquired the steel hull for Cyclops 1 in 2013, after it had been used for 12 years, and fitted it with a new interior, underwater sensors, and gamepad pilot control system.

In June 2016 Cyclops 1 was used to survey the wreck of {{ship|SS|Andrea Doria}} {{convert|240|ft|abbr=in|order=flip}} below the surface. The survey data were intended to build a computer model of the wreck and its surroundings to improve navigation. In 2019 the craft was used to transport researchers to the bottom of Puget Sound to perform marine biology surveys.{{cite web|title=Stockton Rush inside Cyclops I, on July 19, 2017.|url=https://media.newyorker.com/photos/649df383ada160419b41d7d6/master/w_1600,c_limit/Taub-OceanGate-4.jpg|access-date=July 7, 2023|archive-date=July 1, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230701103509/https://media.newyorker.com/photos/649df383ada160419b41d7d6/master/w_1600%2Cc_limit/Taub-OceanGate-4.jpg|url-status=live}}

{{Main|Titan (submersible)|Titan submersible implosion|l1 = Titan (submersible)|l2 = Titan submersible implosion}}

Titan (known as Cyclops 2 until 2018) was the second submersible designed and built by OceanGate, the first privately-owned submersible with an intended maximum depth of {{cvt|4000|m}}.{{cite news |title=It's Brutal to Get to the Ocean's Depths. This Minisub Will Take You There |author=Dean, Josh |work=Bloomberg Businessweek |url-access=subscription |date=September 7, 2017 |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2017-09-07/it-s-brutal-to-get-to-the-ocean-s-depths-this-minisub-will-take-you-there |access-date=June 26, 2023 |archive-date=June 26, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230626061937/https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2017-09-07/it-s-brutal-to-get-to-the-ocean-s-depths-this-minisub-will-take-you-there |url-status=live }} The viewport was rated to only {{cvt|650|m}}, and the engineer of the viewport also prepared an analysis from an independent expert that concluded the design would fail after only a few 4,000 m dives.{{Cite magazine |last=Harris |first=Mark |title=The Titan Submersible Disaster Shocked the World. The Inside Story Is More Disturbing Than Anyone Imagined |url=https://www.wired.com/story/titan-submersible-disaster-inside-story-oceangate-files/ |access-date=2024-06-11 |magazine=Wired |language=en-US |issn=1059-1028 |archive-date=June 11, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240611132441/https://www.wired.com/story/titan-submersible-disaster-inside-story-oceangate-files/ |url-status=live }} It also was the first completed crewed submersible that used a hull constructed of titanium and carbon fiber composite materials, as most other human-carrying submersibles are designed with an all-metal pressure vessel. It was designed and developed originally in partnership with UW and Boeing, both of which put forth numerous design recommendations and rigorous testing requirements, which Rush ignored, despite prior tests at lower depths resulting in implosions at UW's lab. The partnerships dissolved as Rush refused to work within quality standards. A new hull was built in 2021 after the original had cracked after 50 dives, just three of which reached 4,000 m. The new submersible salvaged and reused parts from the failed submersible, and added lifting rings against the advice of engineers, who stated that the Titan could not handle any tension or load.

On June 18, 2023, OceanGate lost contact with Titan during its dive to the Titanic. Loss of contact had occurred multiple times during previous test and tour dives, so OceanGate did not alert authorities until the submersible was overdue for its return. A massive international search and rescue operation ensued and ended on June 22, 2023 when debris from Titan was discovered about {{convert|1600|ft|m|order=flip|sp=us|sigfig=1}} in front of the bow of Titanic, revealing that the submersible had imploded catastrophically, killing all 5 occupants.

At the time of Titan{{'}}s implosion OceanGate had three associated entities: its main headquarters in Everett, Washington; a subsidiary located in the Bahamas named Argus Expeditions Ltd (which trades as OceanGate Expeditions);{{cite web |title=Our Story |url=https://oceangateexpeditions.com/about-us/our-story/ |publisher=OceanGate Expeditions |access-date=3 July 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230702092758/https://oceangateexpeditions.com/about-us/our-story/ |archive-date=2 July 2023 |url-status=live}} and an independent nonprofit organization known as the OceanGate Foundation which provides financial support to scientists who participate in missions. Documents filed with the State of Washington list Stockton Rush as the treasurer of the nonprofit and his wife Wendy Rush as the director and president.{{cite magazine |last1=Geiger |first1=Abigail |title=Inside OceanGate's Doomed Titanic Dive: Flouted Regulations and Murky Finances |magazine=Rolling Stone |date=June 26, 2023 |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-features/oceangate-titanic-regulation-finances-1234778293/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230626193723/https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-features/oceangate-titanic-regulation-finances-1234778293/ |archive-date=June 26, 2023}}{{cite web |last1=Cox |first1=Joseph |last2=Marchman |first2=Tim |last3=Gault |first3=Matthew |last4=Pearson |first4=Jordan |title='It Is A Huge, Vast, Opportunity': How OceanGate Went from Disruptive Startup to Catastrophic Deep Sea Failure |work=Vice Media |date=June 22, 2023 |url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/qjvjdb/it-is-a-huge-vast-opportunity-how-oceangate-went-from-disruptive-startup-to-catastrophic-deepsea-failure |access-date=June 27, 2023 |archive-date=June 27, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230627043959/https://www.vice.com/en/article/qjvjdb/it-is-a-huge-vast-opportunity-how-oceangate-went-from-disruptive-startup-to-catastrophic-deepsea-failure |url-status=live }}

• Extreme tourism
• List of submarine and submersible incidents since 2000

{{Reflist}}

• {{cite interview |subject=Stockton Rush |interviewer=David Pogue |subject-link=Stockton Rush |interviewer-link=David Pogue |title=OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush talks Titan sub's design, carbon fiber hull, safety and more in 2022 interviews |publisher=CBS News |date=August 2022 |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/titanic-submersible-interview-transcript-with-oceangate-ceo-stockton-rush/}}

{{Commons}}

• {{Official website|https://oceangate.com/}}, as of July 2023 just showing a message which reads "OceanGate has suspended all exploration and commercial operations."
• {{YouTube |id=29co_Hksk6o |title=A visit to RMS Titanic}} | CBS Sunday Morning

{{Titan submersible implosion|state=collapsed}}

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