The search for the Titanic was actually a cover-up mission to search for 2 nuclear subslost in the 1960s!
In 1985, oceanographer Bob Ballard discovered the most famous shipwreck in history, The Titanic. What you may not know is that he was actually covering up a top-secret mission for the U.S. government.
He was hired because of his advanced robotics submarine. He was asked to check on the status of 2 nuclear subs that sank in the 1960s, the USS Thresher and the USS Scorpion. The issue was that the government didn't want the Soviets to know that they were looking for the subs. They thought that the excuse of searching for the Titanic wreck would be a good explanation for an increased presence of US ships in the area.
In return for his service, the government agreed to fund Ballard's search for the Titanic and a documentary on it. He had only 12 days left in his Navy contract after finding the two subs. He was able to use the lessons he learned in finding the nuclear subs to locate the Titanic, a feat that had taken decades to achieve.
In 1985, oceanographer Bob Ballard discovered the most famous shipwreck in history, The Titanic. What you may not know is that he was actually covering up a top-secret mission for the U.S. government.
He was hired because of his advanced robotics submarine. He was asked to check on the status of 2 nuclear subs that sank in the 1960s, the USS Thresher and the USS Scorpion. The issue was that the government didn't want the Soviets to know that they were looking for the subs. They thought that the excuse of searching for the Titanic wreck would be a good explanation for an increased presence of US ships in the area.
In return for his service, the government agreed to fund Ballard's search for the Titanic and a documentary on it. He had only 12 days left in his Navy contract after finding the two subs. He was able to use the lessons he learned in finding the nuclear subs to locate the Titanic, a feat that had taken decades to achieve.
