A private Georgia-based company, RMS Titanic Inc., which stands for Royal Mail Ship Titanic Incorporated and holds the salvage rights to the Titanic, had planned a recovery expedition to the famous ship just days before the Titan Sub disaster. Originally, the company intended to send a manned submersible to explore the wreck, but following the tragic incident involving the Titanic Sub, they have decided to use Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROVs) instead. Despite the change in plans, the firm’s president insists that “ROVs may not yield the same results, but the expedition absolutely must go forward.”
The RMS Titanic, once deemed ‘unsinkable,’ met a tragic fate on April 15, 1912, when it struck an iceberg and sank during its maiden voyage, claiming over 1,500 lives. Since its discovery in 1985, the ship’s wreckage, located nearly 12,500 feet beneath the surface of the North Atlantic, has captured the imagination of people worldwide.
The planned 2024 expedition would have been the first since 2010, but the U.S. government is opposing it, arguing that the company needs authorization from the Secretary of Commerce first. RMS Titanic Inc. President Sanders emphasized the urgency of the situation, stating that the Titanic is ‘deteriorating.’ He noted that “decks of the Titanic are starting to collapse,” along with documented deterioration in the roof above the ship’s radio area. “Obviously, once that collapses, it’s gone,” Sanders said. “It’s gone forever. You’ve lost it to the sea twice now.”
RMS Titanic Inc. has organized an unmanned mission to take photos of the entire ship and enter its hull. The mission aims to recover artifacts from the debris field and “may recover free-standing objects inside the wreck,” such as Titanic dishware, perfume, jewelry, ceramic artifacts, letters, jeweled bracelets, pocket watches, keys to the lifeboats, and more. There are plans to recover objects from inside the Marconi room, the location where wireless operators Jack Phillips and Harold Bride communicated with ships and shore using a Marconi transmitter. The Marconi room also contains the ship’s radio, a Marconi wireless telegraph machine that was the first to broadcast morse code messages about the collision with the iceberg. This message was received by nearby ships, prompting them to respond and rescue about 700 people who fled in lifeboats.
The recent cancellation of the expedition following the leader’s death has left many questions unanswered. Will RMS Titanic Inc. regroup and attempt the expedition again? Only time will tell. However, the importance of preserving and documenting this historic site for future generations cannot be overstated. As the debate continues, one thing is clear: the legacy of the Titanic and the stories it holds will continue to captivate the world for years to come.