The Titan Submarine Found in Pieces. Lessons Need to be Learned including in Space.

 Well, it looks like the Titan submarine experienced a catastrophic hull failure. 

The US coastguard yesterday announced that the two titanium domes had been spotted by a remotely operated vehicle. 

The salient part missing from their statements was about the status of the bit in between: the carbon fibre tube holding the occupants of the sub.

Other commentators have stated the sub jettisoned ballast before the failure, so they may have known that there were issues before the final failure happened. But these are unconfirmed at this moment. It could be the sub failed and as that failure occurred the sub dropped ballast as it was designed to in an emergency.

I hope there is now a full investigation and proper experts start to examine the viability of the construction of this sub. Too many armchair experts online will muddy the waters, we need definitive information. Facts that can be used to inform others that may be tempted to use composites for sub hull construction in the future.

A lot of chatter on the internet is about how pressure vessels that withstand pressure from inside can be built out of carbon fibre, but not vessels that resist pressure from outside, citing that CF is stronger in tension than it is in compression. But I don't have the experience to comment on that.

All I can say is the sub was experimental. It was an experiment that cost lives. Hopefully any such innovations will be properly tested in future before humans are committed to be passengers.

Which brings me to space.

Currently NASA has the Starliner project, built by Boeing to take astronauts to the International Space Station.

On it's first attempt Starliner failed to make it because of software errors. The second attempt made it to the ISS, but there were several systems failures. The first prevented it lifting off on time and then when it did eventually lift off, there were issues with temperature control inside the craft and issues with thrusters, in one case a third redundant thruster had to fire when the first two failed.

To me that's getting there by the skin of your teeth. Hardly the ultra-safe system that is required for safe human flight in space.

I just wonder what sort of waiver NASA will make the first Starliner crew sign?