this post was submitted on 19 Jun 2023
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[–] [email protected] 14 points 1 year ago (2 children)

No talk of passengers, so at the very least one person is missing, but up to 5. Also they have no other submersible that can reach that depth. From an insurance stance, that sounds like a massive liability risk to undertake, not to mention it’s just unwise.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (3 children)

So, in the live feed the BBC has going, there's a post suggesting that a group of explorers were apparently on board based on one of them's Facebook feed, so it's safe to say they probably had the full passenger set on there.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Really a stretch to call these people 'explorers'. Apparently one of them made their billions hawking private jets. Sucks to be him...

[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 year ago

comrade depths of the ocean

[–] [email protected] 6 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Which means they gross $750,000 per 8 hour trip. They should have a recovery vessel at those prices.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 year ago (2 children)

One of the other posts in the feed makes it sound like they only do it a handful of times a year, and that cost is covering a multi-day excursion since they have to wait for conditions to be right. Still, no excuse to not have contingencies, but I think their take gets eaten into a fair bit more than the raw math would suggest.

[–] [email protected] 8 points 1 year ago (2 children)

I wager they don’t have a recovery vessel because they have people sign contracts only allowing arbitration.

[–] [email protected] 10 points 1 year ago (1 children)

The CBS guy read aloud part of the thing he had to sign when he rode on it.

And the video is horrifying on so many levels…

[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 year ago (1 children)

"Everything else can fail. Your thrusters can go, your lights can go and you'll be safe."***********

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago

Aged like milk.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I wouldn't be surprised. But, I suspect there's also a factor of just implausibility. Apparently, the main vessel they use is "experimental", so it may just literally be impossible to have a recovery vessel without being a literal government.

My money's on this being the result of someone ignoring the "hey, these are not good conditions" warnings.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 1 year ago (2 children)

Not just 'experimental'. This thing looks like something you'd find on a backyard engineering website. Some of it's functionality is accessed with an offbrand video game controller.

CBS interview featuring the submersible.

[–] [email protected] 8 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

The bit with the contract starts @2:40. At least you can't say they didn't know what they were getting into. Still an awful way to go, if it did implode at depth, at least it'd be quick.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I think I’d rather implode and go instantly, than be floating on the surface for 4 days and unable to get out while slowly suffocating.

Neither is my idea of a good time…

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago (2 children)

Can they not open a hatch if it's on the surface?

Water would be a problem still, but not suffocation, if so.

[–] [email protected] 8 points 1 year ago

Nope. The hatch is bolted from the outside. They can’t do anything from the inside and are utterly dependent on someone outside with a power socket wrench to unscrew each of the 17 bolts holding the hatch on.

There are some design flaws with this thing.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 year ago

Nope, the ends are bolted on from the outside before they depart.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 year ago

And their navigation is dependent on text messages from the support ship they charter. Oh, dear.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

According to the CEO the whole business isn't even profitable. They spent over a million on gas alone. At least this jerryrigged contraption sinking is the most effective way for their company to stop shitting up the atmosphere over the whims of a few rich people.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 year ago

The BBC live stream said “one pilot and four mission operators” about 15 min ago.