First expedition to Titanic since OceanGate tragedy to capture the ill-fated ship wreckage in unseen detail

On Friday (July 13) a team of scientists, historians, and imaging experts will set off to the Titanic to create the most detailed photographic record of the disaster to date.

As reported by the BBC, they will utilise advanced technology to study the surface of the famous liner to gain new insights into its sinking.

This will be the first commercial expedition to the Titanic since the OceanGate tragedy last year, where five men perished while attempting to visit the wreck in a submersible.

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In the following days, there will be a joint memorial ceremony at sea for them as well as the 1,500 passengers and crew who died on the Titanic in 1912. The current mission is being led by the Americanfirm that holds sole salvage rights and has recovered over 5,500 artefacts from the wreck.

But according to Atlanta, Georgia-based RMS Titanic Inc, this most recent visit is only a reconnaissance trip. Two robotic vehicles will descend to the ocean below to take millions of high-resolution images and create a 3D model of all the wreckage.

The logistics ship Dino Chouest will serve as the base for operations in the North Atlantic. It will remain above the wreck site, situated 3,800 metres(12,500 feet) underwater, for 20 days, provided the weather is favourable.

Paul-Henri ("PH") Nargeolet, who was tragically among the five fatalities in the OceanGate submarine incident, was intended to lead the expedition and was the director of research for RMS Titanic Inc.

Even though the site of the wreckage has been the subject of several studies since it was discovered in 1985, there is no map that could be considered definitive so far.

Two six-tonne remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) will conduct the expedition. One will have ultra-high-definition optical cameras and a special lighting system, while the other will carry a sensor package with a lidar scanner.

The team of researchers will survey a 1.3 kilometre by 0.97 km section of the seafloor.

This marks RMS Titanic Inc's ninth visit to the wreck site. The company has faced controversy recently for its intention to recover part of the Marconi radio equipment that sent distress calls during the sinking.

(With inputs from agencies)