A cheap video game controller that costs only $30 on Amazon is what powers the missing Titanic submersible. Rescuers are urgently trying to save the five people on board the OceanGate Titan sub, which disappeared while heading towards the Titanic wreckage. The passengers include a British billionaire, a father and son from Surrey, a seasoned French naval commander, and the company’s CEO.
The sub lost contact off the coast of Canada.
The vessel in question is a submersible, distinct from a submarine, as it cannot dive and ascend independently. Instead, it relies on the assistance of the Canadian research ship Polar Prince for these maneuvers.
Unfortunately, contact between the Polar Prince and the submersible was lost merely 15 minutes away from reaching the Titanic wreckage.
Surprisingly, an onboard video from the vessel reveals that the Titan Sub is controlled using a budget-friendly game controller, specifically the Logitech F710. This controller has been modified with additional attachments.
With a price tag of only $30, it is certainly not the kind of equipment one would expect for a problematic descent of 3,800 meters to the ocean’s depths.
Some customers have expressed concerns about wireless and connectivity issues in their reviews of the product available on Amazon.
According to a reporter from CBS, the Titan sub has been described as having a makeshift quality similar to MacGyver’s.
The submersible set off around 4 a.m. on Sunday with British billionaire Hamish Harding, father and son Shahzada Dawood (48 years old) and Sulaiman Dawood (19 years old), French Navy veteran Paul-Henry Nargeolet, and OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush on board.
Approximately 1 hour and 45 minutes into the two-hour descent, communication was lost with the Titan, prompting a rescue operation.
Reports indicate the submarine has a limited oxygen supply, estimated to last until midday Thursday.
Will Straw, CEO of Prince’s Trust International, expressed shock and concern upon learning that one of their advisors was aboard the missing Titanic submersible.
Shahzada Dawood has been an advisor to Prince’s Trust International in various roles, including on the global advisory board, mainly focusing on their work in Pakistan.
Another passenger, Paul-Henry Nargeolet, is reportedly a French Navy veteran and a recognized expert on the Titanic, having dived into the wreckage multiple times and shared insights on the associated risks.
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British billionaire Hamish Harding is known for his adventurous spirit, having traveled to space through Jeff Bezos’ program and reaching the South Pole on two occasions.
OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush, the founder of the company behind the dive, was also part of the crew. Before his poor eyesight impeded his aspirations to become a pilot, he served as a test pilot and attained the world’s youngest jet transport rating at 19.
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