The search for the Titan submarine cost a fortune: this is the figure no one expected and who paid for it

On June 18, 2023, the Titan submersible, carrying a crew of five people to the wreck of the Titanic, lost communication with the mainland. This triggered a massive international search and rescue mission involving the governments of Canada, France, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Authorities involved in the operation confirmed that the passengers died instantly when the vessel collapsed due to an implosion.

Today, two years after the tragedy, many questions remain unanswered.

The United States mobilized the Coast Guard and used three C-17 transport planes that belonged to the US Army, as well as an aquatic drone that is capable of showing what is 20,000 feet underwater, more than 6,000 meters, and sending clear images. Here is a post on social media in the days after.

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For its part, Canada contributed to the operation with a patrol plane and two surface boats, one of which had doctors specialized in diving medicine that arrived on the scene on Thursday. Lastly, France also joined the search by contributing a ship equipped with a remotely operated vehicle called the Victor6000.

How much did the Titan search cost the public?

Each of the three passengers that purchased a ticket to board the Titan paid $250,000, for a total of $750,000. Looking at the expenses of the US government alone, the search and rescue mission was more costly than what was paid by the tourists. The Washington Post released a conservative estimate based on publicly available information and some interviews with government personnel that put the price at $1.2 million.