What is used to steer the missing Titanic tourist submarine?

As word spreadsof the submersible that went missing while on a dive to explore the Titanic shipwreck, so has the news of some of the technology aboard the vessel. OceanGate’s Titan submarine was carrying five people to view the wreckage when it lost contact with the surface vessel. As search and rescue efforts are ongoing, CBS News coverage by David Pogue of the Titan from last summer that reveals some of the technology behind it has been going viral.

The sub is steered by a wireless Logitech F710 gamepad. This is not entirely unusual — the U.S. Navy uses gaming controllers to operate submarine periscopes, and The Boring Co. has used them to steer its drilling machines. However, this seems like a very high-stakes scenario in which to rely on a simple gaming pad (especially a wireless one).

According to Pogue, the submersible also isn’t equipped with GPS, instead relying on text messages from the surface ship to guide it. Maintaining a good Internet connection on the ship is therefore vital — OceanGate reports that in 2023 it is using Starlink for its Internet services. A number of technological solutions have been employed in the ongoing search and rescue efforts — the U.S. Coast Guard is using sonar buoys, as well as sonar from aircraft and the expedition’s surface ship. Additionally, the French Ministry of the Oceans announced that a ship equipped with an exploration robot called Victor 6000 that can dive to a depth of 4,000 meters (13,123 feet) is en route and should arrive by Wednesday evening. The Titanic wreckage lies approximately 12,000 feet below the surface.