There Are Only 10 Subs That Are Certified To Go To The Titanic

Following its implosion, the construction of the Titan submersible and its owner's disregard for certification and safety standards have come under increased scrutiny. As of this year, the Titan was only one of only 10 active submarines designed to dive to the depth of the storied Titanic shipwreck. However, unlike Ocean Gate's submersible, other subs are meticulously designed, rigorously tested, certified, and built using well-established methods. 

Surprisingly, the list doesn't include the Deepsea Challenger, which James Cameron famously piloted to the bottom of the Challenger Deep. Like several other famous subs, it was certified as capable of diving to a greater depth than the Titanic wreck, but has subsequently been mothballed. That Deepsea Challenger was most recently on display in a California museum, and had to be restored following a fire that broke out while it was being transported the other year.

The lack of submersibles capable of surviving a 4,000-meter plunge is one of the things that hindered search and rescue efforts when it was believed there was a chance of saving those on board Titan. Not only are they rare, but they're also spaced out geographically. Only five nations have active deep-sea capable subs. France, the United States, China, Russia, and Japan. Some nations have more than others, and one of the subs on this list is actually owned by a legendary figure in the video game industry. Here is what we know about the nine other subs capable of safely reaching a depth of 4,000 or more meters.

DSV Limiting Factor is a deep-water submersible owned by Gabe Newell. Yes, the Gabe Newell who also owns Valve. It is a two-man vessel and, according to the Five Deeps Expedition website, is "the world's first and only manned-submersible that will be certified for dives to 11,000 m / 36,000 ft." It can spend up to 16 hours in the water, and has a 96-hour emergency life support system if something goes wrong. Though, as we have all recently seen, 96 hours may not be enough if you end up stranded on the ocean floor.

The sub itself is primarily designed for ascent and descent. Its titanium hull is 90mm (over 3.54 inches) thick, and its controls have been designed to minimize complexity and make things simple for the pilot. The DSV Limiting Factor visited the Titanic wreck back in 2019, and was actually the first manned submersible to make the journey in close to 15 years when it went. During the trip, the Limiting Factor's crew noticed the wreck was crumbling, and famous parts like the Captain's Bathtub had disappeared between trips in 2005 and 2019.

Jiaolong is a Chinese vessel capable of hitting depths of a little beyond 7,000 meters — far deeper than where the Titanic's wreck sits. It hit its limits during a dive into the Mariana Trench, one of the few parts of the oceans that go that deep, back in June 2012. The submersible is 8.2 meters long, 3.4 meters high, and weighs nearly 22 tons. The Chinese-government-owned sub is one of the newer ones on this list, having entered service in 2010.

The Chinese sub's main purpose is research, and unlike several other subs on this list, it hasn't visited the Titanic wreck site. If the Chinese government wanted to view the wreck for any reason, the Jiaolong would be more than capable. Instead, it is focused on collecting samples of water, rock, and soil from the deepest parts of the ocean. The sub's robotic arms are one of the many tools that help with this task. Although China is on the short list of countries with deep-sea technology, Jiaolong isn't entirely Chinese-made. Some parts were imported, including the pressure vessel which came from Russia — another deep sea capable country.

Stiver is one of several submersibles built and owned by the Chinese government — and it isn't purely made to explore or find wrecks. Like many deep-sea submersibles, it exists as a scientific research vehicle. While it is pushing the limits of what submersibles in general, can do, it primarily gathers samples from the ocean floors. As with many similar subs, those are primarily gathered with the vehicle's mechanical arms. Like many submersibles of its kind, Stiver can carry three crew members. It is also almost entirely domestically built, unlike older submersibles in the Chinese fleet, which required imported parts from other countries.

By 2021, Stiver had dived to 10,000 meters eight times, with those dives taking place in the Mariana Trench. It also holds the record of "deepest dive by a Chinese submersible" hitting 10,909 meters (35,791 feet), according to CGTN. This involved going to the bottom of the Challenger Deep, and isn't far from the all-time world record dive of 35,849 feet. All of these dives are over two and a half times the depth of Titanic , and involve pressures far greater than you would find at 4,000 meters.

Rus AS37 is similar in many ways to its sibling, Consul AS37. Both have spherical hulls, both are rated to a depth of 20,000 feet, both have "hydraulic manipulators," and both have been subject of scrutiny and suspicion during times of global tension between the United States and Russia.

While they are down as "research vessels" they have been known to recover downed military hardware like Russian jets. It is also possible that they could be used to splice into, and effectively tap, undersea communications cables — and remove taps other countries have placed on Russian lines. It can venture underwater for up to 12 hours, and spend at least three hours at its depth limit without issue. It also has access to a tethered unmanned submersible, which can be used to garner a different perspective on the things it is examining in the deep ocean and can venture into places where directly using the Rus AS37 would be dangerous, or the submersible simply can't fit.