After the sinking of the RMS Titanic on its maiden voyage across the Atlantic in 1912, governments on both sides of the ocean took a hard look at whether more could have been done to protect the approximately 2,200 people on board, including the more than 1,500 who died. that tragic day.

The result was the Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS). Its framework, approved in 1914, still stands, and many of its rules stem directly from the Titanic tragedy.

With the Titan submarine implosing as it plunged towards the wreck of the Titanic this week, killing all five people on board, experts say there could be new impetus for rules governing new tourism high end and high priced. type operated by OceanGate Expeditions, the company that managed the Titan.

The Unsinkable Ship: When the Titanic left Southampton, it was the largest ocean liner in the world, built with cutting-edge maritime technology that many believe made it unsinkable.

Such was the belief on the Titanic that safety standards at the time were not updated to keep up with technology.

Lessons from the Titan: Maritime experts and historians have pointed out that the submarine Titan operated outside the regulations imposed by the Titanic disaster and did not need to comply with safety regulations as it operated in international waters.

Although innovators and explorers can push the boundaries – or even break the rules – to achieve scientific breakthroughs, experts say there should be a higher safety threshold for paying passengers, like three of those who are dead aboard the Titan, and that it may be necessary to reconsider the international rules governing such expeditions, as they were reviewed after the sinking of the Titanic.

“It’s entirely possible that the Titan could be the catalyst for more regulation in the submersible field,” says Per Wimmer, a Danish adventurer and philanthropist.