New 3D Scans of Titanic Wreck Challenge Record

National Geographic is gearing up to mark the 113th anniversary of the sinking of the R.M.S. Titanic by releasing a documentary that promises to digitally resurrect the doomed ocean liner and challenge the narrative surrounding her final hours.

"Titanic: The Digital Resurrection," tells the story of the effort to virtually raise the ship from 12,500 feet below the surface of the North Atlantic Ocean.

According to National Geographic, two remote-operated robots were used to systematically canvas the wreck site, taking 715,000 photos and millions of laser measurements to create the largest underwater 3D scan ever, amounting to 16 terabytes of data.

The digital scan, which was conducted over three weeks in 2022 by deep-sea mapping company Magellan, took nearly two years to analyze.

The largest passenger ship of its day, the Titanic struck an iceberg less than 400 miles off the coast of Canada, at approximately 11:40 p.m. on April 14, 1912. The ship sank in the early hours of April 15, less than three hours after the collision.

Of the 2,240 passengers and crew on board for Titanic's maiden voyage, more than 1,500 perished in the maritime disaster, primarily from hypothermia in waters that were reportedly 28 °F.

Using the 3D model, the documentary found that a steam valve was left open in the boiler room, possibly to keep an emergency generator — and the electricity — running for as long as possible as the ship sank.

The crew's valiant effort allowed distress signals to be sent almost until the ship went down, but her remote position, which was approximately 370 miles south of Newfoundland and 1,200 miles from New York City, meant there were few vessels capable of arriving in time.

The National Geographic investigation also challenges the depiction of the sinking that was popularized by James Cameron's 1997 blockbuster "Titanic."

"The Titanic didn't split cleanly in two — it was violently torn apart, ripping through first-class cabins where prominent passengers like J.J. Astor and Benjamin Guggenheim may have sought refuge as the ship went down," National Geographic said.

Neither Astor nor Guggenheim survived the sinking, as women and children were given first priority in the lifeboats.

The documentary's evidence also clears the name of First Officer William Murdoch, who has historically been charged with abandoning his post.

According to the investigation, it is now believed that Murdoch and his crew were unable to reach one of the few lifeboats after being swept away by the sea.

The Titanic only had around 20 lifeboats onboard, due to the idea that the ship was "practically unsinkable." If filled to capacity, these boats could hold less than 1,200 people — little more than half of the total number aboard.

"Titanic: The Digital Resurrection" premieres April 11 on National Geographic and streams the next day on Disney+ and Hulu.