Search efforts are continuing for a missing submersible in the north Atlantic Ocean.
Five people embarked on an expedition to tour the Titanic wreckage on Sunday. But Canadian research vessel Polar Prince lost contact with the 21-foot submersible known as the Titan after one hour and 45 minutes.
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A U.S. Coast Guard official said on Tuesday afternoon that the Titan has an estimated 40 hours of oxygen remaining, meaning the supply could run out by early Thursday morning.
As the search continues, here's what to know about the company that launched the expedition, OceanGate Inc.
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What is OceanGate?
According to its website, OceanGate focuses on "increasing access to the deep ocean through innovation of the next generation of crewed submersibles and launch platforms." The company utilizes its three five-man submersibles for site survey, scientific research, film production and exploration travel.
OceanGate says it's completed over 14 expeditions and over 200 deep dives across the Atlantic, Pacific and Gulf of Mexico. Monterey Bay, Miami and Seattle are among the previous expedition sites.
Who founded OceanGate?
CEO Stockton Rush, who is piloting the missing submersible, founded OceanGate in 2009. The company is headquartered in Everett, Washington.
How many times has OceanGate been to the Titanic?
This marked OceanGate's third expedition to the Titanic wreckage, having previously gone in 2021 and 2022. A ticket for the 10-day mission, which includes eight days at sea, cost $250,000.
During the expeditions, OceanGate says it conducts scientific and technological surveys of the Titanic wreck, which includes collecting images, video and sonar data to study the site and its rate of decay.
“The ocean is taking this thing, and we need to document it before it all disappears or becomes unrecognizable,” Rush told The Associated Press in 2021.
What is a submersible vs. a submarine?
A submersible is not the same thing as a submarine. A submersible is smaller than a submarine and lacks the power to depart and return from expeditions on its own. That's why it needs the support of a mother vessel, like Polar Prince.
The Titan submersible can hold five people and travel to depths of 13,123 feet, per OceanGate. It's dubbed as the only submersible that can take five people to those depths of the ocean. The company says the 23,000-pound vessel made of titanium and carbon filament was designed for "site survey and inspection, research and data collection, film and media production, and deep sea testing of hardware and software."
Who is on the OceanGate submersible?
The four passengers with Rush are British billionaire Hamish Harding, French diver Paul Henry Nargeolet, Pakistani businessman Shahzada Dawood and his son, Suleman.
Where is the Titanic located?
The Titanic sits roughly 370 miles off the coast of Newfoundland, Canada. It's also about 900 miles east of Cape Cod, Massachusetts.
How deep underwater is the Titanic?
The wreckage is located 12,500 feet below the ocean's surface.
