Inside a Titanic Expedition:
What It Takes to Explore the World’s Best-Known Wrecksite
Since 1987, RMS Titanic Inc. (RMST) has led nine expeditions to the Titanic wrecksite, located 12,500 feet below the surface of the North Atlantic Ocean. These missions typically launch between June and September, with over half beginning in July. These are timed carefully around a very narrow window of workable weather, just before peak hurricane season from August to November. Even beforehand, during the summer, the North Atlantic is notoriously rough. That means the team must prepare for unpredictable conditions.
What You Need to Reach Titanic
According to oceanographer Dr. David Gallo, who co-led the 2010 and 2024 expeditions, every deep-sea expedition requires three essentials:
A platform: in this case, a ship.
Sensors: such as submersibles and robots.
Technique: the plan, strategy, and goals behind the mission.
Every RMST expedition begins with a long journey onboard a research or recovery vessel, selected based on the specific goals—either artifact recovery or high-resolution mapping, and always research—and the challenges the team might face. Climate change has made weather forecasting more complex. Teams never know what kind of season they’ll get, so they constantly monitor weather systems.
Hurricanes regularly pass over the Titanic wrecksite, traveling at speeds of around 30 miles per hour. Research vessels, by contrast, travel only about 10 mph. That means if a storm is spotted, crews must make quick decisions—something they’ve had to do in the past. Ships may deal with strong Gulf Stream currents or 18- to 20-foot swells, so it is crucial to stay ahead of the weather and have a contingency plan in place.
A Race Against Time—and Nature
Expeditions are a major undertaking. When comparing expeditions in 1987, 1993, 1994, 1996, 1998, 2000, 2004, 2010, and most recently in 2024, each one lasted two to six weeks and, on average, consisted of 20 dives. Just getting to Titanic from the nearest port, St. John’s, Newfoundland, takes about a day and a half. If bad weather or mechanical issues occur, the crew could lose three days just going back and forth. The wrecksite lies about 12,500 feet below the ocean’s surface, about two to three hours in a submersible each way. As a result, bringing up any equipment, especially in an emergency, is not quick or easy. That’s why every minute matters. With operational costs around $100,000 per day, the expedition team must operate with precision and speed, while never compromising their own safety or the integrity of the wrecksite.
Once at sea, the crew uses a mix of cutting-edge technologies to visualize and document the wrecksite and surrounding debris field:
Magnetometers detect magnetic anomalies in the seabed, usually ferrous metal objects.
Sonar systems map and create images of the seafloor using sound waves.
Optical imaging systems operate lights and cameras that are specially engineered for environments with no natural light, limited artificial light penetration, distorted color perception, and reduced resolution.
LiDAR scanning systems send a laser beam and measure the time it takes for the beam to return to its sensors to measure distance and create topographical maps.
The crew uses specially equipped submersibles to complete the mission. These fall into three categories:
ROVs (Remotely Operated Vehicles) are the workhorses of most expeditions. They can stay submerged for long periods of time and are piloted from the ship above, allowing precise maneuvering and delicate artifact recovery.
AUVs (Autonomous Underwater Vehicles) are used for large-scale mapping, where the team can “mow the lawn,” or capture a continuous series of images by going back and forth along rows.
HOVs (Human-Occupied Vehicles) allow people to visit the site directly. A dive lasts 10–12 hours and only carries three people at a time but allows for in-person observations.
While ROVs are practical, there’s nothing quite like descending in person. Those who’ve made the trip in an HOV describe it as a life-changing experience that can’t be replicated.
Dives to the wrecksite are a long endeavor, and when the mission involves mapping, much of that time may be spent scanning stretches of empty seabed. Patience is essential. Titanic’s debris field alone spans an astonishing 15 square miles—about two-thirds the size of Manhattan—making it a vast area to cover at the slow, methodical pace of a submersible. These vehicles are designed for precision, not speed, and they explore small sections at a time. As a shipmate on board the 2024 expedition put it, “Be ready for long periods of boredom interrupted by brief moments of excitement.”
Meet the Crew Behind the Mission
Every expedition is powered by a team of around 70 people. It’s a well-balanced operation:
One-third ship crew: navigators, deckhands, cooks, and engineers who keep the vessel running.
One-third technical crew: experts in robotics, submersible operations, and data collection.
One-third scientific crew: historians, oceanographers, engineers, conservators, and researchers who interpret the findings and lead the mission’s focus.
Planning these expeditions can take years. Everything from defining the goal of the mission to assembling the team and equipment to designing the strategy must be carefully mapped out. RMST must also go through a legal process, as they’ve been entrusted since 1994 as salvor-in-possession and official steward of the Titanic wrecksite. RMS Titanic Inc. is legally obligated to notify the federal court before each expedition, obtain permission, and adhere to strict protective guidelines.
Why It Matters
The importance of these missions goes far beyond just simply visiting Titanic.
The Ship is rapidly deteriorating due to corrosion and rusticle-forming bacteria. Expeditions allow us to document Titanic’s current condition and measure changes, recover artifacts, and preserve the story before it’s lost forever.
As Dr. Gallo explains, every expedition brings new insight:
“Every time we go with new technology, every time we go with new techniques, every time we go armed with new knowledge about the Ship, we learn something new—sometimes it’s exciting, sometimes surprising; sometimes it can be pretty revolutionary.”
These expeditions have also helped advance science and the field of deep-sea exploration. Such trips open doors for researchers to study other underwater historic sites and mysteries. Techniques developed in conjunction with expeditions have been used to locate and study other historic shipwrecks and even to better understand the ocean itself. Public support for Titanic exploration drives innovation, fuels curiosity about the deep ocean, and inspires a new generation of explorers.
In the end, exploring Titanic isn’t just about the past; it’s about the future: about how we explore, what we value, and what we choose to remember. By preserving what we can today, we ensure that the stories of those onboard Titanic live on, not just in memory, but in ongoing discovery.
Meet the Team Behind TITANIC Expedition 2024
Behind every successful expedition is a group of dedicated individuals who bring expertise, passion, and decades of experience to the mission. TITANIC Expedition 2024 was no exception. RMS Titanic Inc.’s ninth expedition to the wrecksite brought together explorers, researchers, collection specialists, and storytellers from around the world, each playing a vital role in preserving the legacy of Titanic and pushing the boundaries of deep-sea exploration.
Here are some of the remarkable people who made it happen:
Tomasina Ray: President of RMS Titanic Inc. and Director of Collections
As President of RMS Titanic Inc. and Director of Collections, Tomasina Ray oversees the care, study, and exhibition of more than 5,500 authentic Titanic artifacts. She served as the Project Lead for TITANIC Expedition 2024, ensuring every aspect of the mission—from documentation to preservation—was carried out with integrity and respect.
Tomasina leads a skilled team that includes a registrar, media registrar, research and content specialist, conservator of record, and artifact collection specialists. Together, they ensure each artifact is thoroughly researched, carefully conserved, and safely transported to exhibitions around the globe. Tomasina’s work helps connect audiences with Titanic’s story through the artifacts left behind.
Dr. David Gallo: Expedition Co-Leader and Oceanographer
World-renowned oceanographer and explorer Dr. David Gallo brought over four decades of deep-sea discovery to the team. He spent 30 years at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, and he co-led the 2010 mission that created the first detailed map of the Titanic wrecksite.
In 2024, Dr. Gallo returned to Titanic as Expedition Co-Leader. His leadership and experience with advanced mapping technologies were instrumental in the success of the mission. A captivating public speaker with millions of TED Talk views, he continues to champion ocean exploration, raise awareness of its importance, and inspire future generations.
Rory Golden: Chief Morale Officer
Irish diver Rory Golden joined the 2024 expedition as Chief Morale Officer—a title earned not just for lifting spirits onboard but for the wisdom and experience he brings to every mission. He first visited the Titanic wrecksite in 2000, becoming the first Irish diver to do so, and has since participated in six Titanic expeditions, including three dives in human-occupied submersibles.
Rory has provided commentary for BBC, RTE, and SKY and regularly speaks at educational outreach programs. He currently serves as Chair of the Great Britain and Ireland Chapter of the Explorers Club’s and is a recipient of two awards for his contributions to ocean exploration.
Troy Launay: Expedition Co-Leader
With more than 30 years of experience in deepwater applied technology, Troy Launay is a leader in marine operations and subsea systems, managing complex technologies like side scan sonar, AUVs, and heavy-lift systems. He’s a certified commercial diver and ROV superintendent who has worked across industries, from aerospace to defense, and has participated in expeditions to some of the world’s most iconic shipwrecks, including Titanic, Bismarck, and HMS Hood.
In 2024, Troy co-led the RMS Titanic Inc. mapping expedition. He is also known for his role in the historic recoveries of the SS Gairsoppa and the Apollo F-1 engines, and he was awarded a Citation of Merit from the Explorers Club for his leadership.
James Penca: Researcher and Spokesperson
James Penca served as the onboard Researcher and Spokesperson during the 2024 expedition, sharing live updates and interviews from the research vessel. A lifelong Titanic enthusiast, James’s fascination with the ship began with a childhood field trip to TITANIC: The Artifact Exhibition.
Today, he’s the Creative Director of the virtual Titanic re-creations by Titanic: Honor and Glory, and he hosts the Witness Titanic podcast.
These individuals, and the entire 2024 expedition team, continue to deepen our understanding of Titanic while preserving the legacy for future generations.
