Expedition Background
Dr. Robert Ballard stands on the deck of the Ronald H. Brown on May 30, 2004, just prior to launching his two ROVs Hercules and Argus.
Photograph by Bert Fox © National Geographic Society
Though she lies silent at the bottom of the North Atlantic, the Titanic still beckons explorers to probe her secrets.
On Monday, June 7, at 9 p.m. ET/PT, answer the Titanic's call when you join the National Geographic Channel and scientist Dr. Robert Ballard on a live expedition 2 1/2 miles beneath the ocean's surface. Visit Titanic's suites, her cabins and the dining room where passengers danced till early in the morning.
Explore her final resting place. And investigate just what is causing her to slowly vanish.
It's been nearly 20 years since Dr. Ballard last visited the majestic ship—and now, his voyage is urgent. After 92 years underwater and countless intrusive visitors since her discovery, the Titanic has now dramatically deteriorated. The goal of this "Return to Titanic" is to identify ways to protect her from further decay, and preserve her for the generations to come.
Read daily dispatches from the expedition as Dr. Ballard and his crew close in on the Titanic's underwater site. Study the Titanic using amazing, high-tech, state-of-the-art submersible robots; these robots will enable you to go up close and examine her condition. Watch unbelievable footage beamed from sophisticated satellite telecommunication systems. And finally, tune into the National Geographic Channel to gain live, unprecedented access to this legendary symbol of a more innocent time.
As Dr. Ballard said, "I am returning to the site to show the world a better future for Titanic than the one she has suffered. I want to talk to the next generation about the possibilities the future holds for them and for Titanic. I want to prove that their priorities should not be the plundering of the pyramids of the deep, but instead its long-term care and appreciation."
Learn how the dream of returning to the Titanic became a reality. Through the funding and guidance of celebrated partners including the National Geographic Society, Mystic Aquarium & Institute for Exploration (MA/IFE), the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Partisan Pictures, the JASON Foundation for Education, and the University of Rhode Island, Dr. Robert Ballard will now be going back to the Titanic for the first time in 18 years. A professor of oceanography at the University of Rhode Island, and Director of its Institute for Archaeological Oceanography, Dr. Ballard and scientists from NOAA, MA/IFE, and other institutions will spend 11 days at the site, mapping the ship and conducting scientific analyses of its deterioration.
NOAA will offer an in-depth look at the expedition vessel Ronald H. Brown. The JASON Foundation for Education will send visitors on an interactive field trip—featuring behind-the-scenes access to the expedition—and introduce new math curricula for grades 6 - 8 based on concepts used by the scientists and researchers. The Mystic Aquarium & Institute for Exploration in Mystic, CT will be presenting a new exhibit—"Return to Titanic"—featuring the world's finest scale-model reproduction of the R.M.S. Titanic. In addition, the Immersion Project will bring the "Titanic Live" expedition to children all over the country, allowing them to follow the mission in real time.
Visit www.returntotitanic.com to learn more about the people who made it possible.
