Editing Robert Ballard (section)

===RMS ''Titanic''===
[[File:Robert_Ballard_1999.jpg|thumb|Ballard in 1999 with a VHS copy of the film ''[[Titanic (1997)|Titanic]]'']]
In the summer of 1985, Ballard was aboard the French research ship ''[[RV Le Suroît|Le Suroît]]'', which was using the [[side scan sonar]] ''SAR'' to search for the ''Titanic''{{'s}} wreck. When the French ship was recalled, he transferred onto a ship from [[Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute|Woods Hole]], the [[RV Knorr|R/V ''Knorr'']]. Unbeknownst to some, this trip was financed by the [[United States Navy|U.S. Navy]] for secret reconnaissance of the wreckage of two Navy [[nuclear submarine|nuclear powered]] [[attack submarine]]s, the [[USS Scorpion (SSN-589)|USS ''Scorpion'']] and the [[USS Thresher (SSN-593)|USS ''Thresher'']], which sank in the 1960s, and not for the ''Titanic''.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://edition.cnn.com/2018/12/13/us/titanic-discovery-classified-nuclear-sub/index.html|title=Inside the secret US military mission that located the Titanic|last=Levenson|first=Eric|date=December 14, 2018|access-date=January 7, 2018|archive-date=December 14, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181214063112/https://edition.cnn.com/2018/12/13/us/titanic-discovery-classified-nuclear-sub/index.html|url-status=live}}</ref> In 1982, Ballard had approached the Navy about his new deep sea underwater robot craft, the [[Argo (ROV)|''Argo'']], and his search for the ''Titanic''.<ref name="Navy">{{cite news |first=Lewis |last=Smith |title=Titanic search was cover for secret Cold War subs mission |url=http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/us_and_americas/article3994955.ece |work=[[The Times]] |date=May 24, 2008 |access-date=May 26, 2008 |location=London |archive-date=June 4, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100604054238/http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/us_and_americas/article3994955.ece |url-status=dead }}</ref> The Navy, while not interested in funding Ballard's ''Titanic'' search on its own, ultimately concluded that ''Argo'' was their best chance to locate their missing submarines, and agreed to finance his expedition on the condition that he first investigated the two submarines, assessed the state of their nuclear reactors, and determined if their long submergence had cause any radioactive environmental impact.<ref name="Navy"/> He was placed on temporary active duty in the Navy, in charge of finding and investigating the wrecks, after which he would be free to use any remaining time and resources to hunt for the ''Titanic''.<ref name="Navy"/>

After their missions for the Navy, [[RV Knorr|''Knorr'']] arrived on site on August 22, 1985,<ref name="Discovery">{{cite web|url=http://www.titanic-titanic.com/discovery_of_titanic.shtml|title=Discovery Of Titanic|access-date=December 7, 2008|archive-date=May 29, 2006|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060529080536/http://www.titanic-titanic.com/discovery_of_titanic.shtml|url-status=live}}</ref> and deployed [[Argo (submersible)|''Argo'']]. When they searched for the two submarines, Ballard and his team discovered they had imploded from the immense pressure at depth. It littered thousands of pieces of debris all over the ocean floor. Following the large trail of debris led them directly to the remnants of both vessels and made them significantly easier to locate than if they were to search for the hulls directly. He already knew that the ''Titanic'' imploded from pressure, much like the two submarines, and concluded that it too must have left a scattered debris trail. Using that lesson, they had ''Argo'' sweep back and forth across the ocean floor looking for the ''Titanic's'' debris trail.<ref name="Discovery"/> They took shifts monitoring the video feed from ''Argo'' as it searched the ocean floor two miles below.{{citation_needed|date=August 2019}}

In the early morning of September 1, 1985, observers noted anomalies on the smooth ocean floor. At first, it was pockmarks, like small craters from impacts. Eventually, debris was sighted as the rest of the team was awakened. Finally, a boiler was sighted, and soon after that, the hull was found.{{citation_needed|date=August 2019}}

Ballard's team made a general search of the ''Titanic's'' exterior, noting its condition. Most significantly, they confirmed that it had split in two and that the stern was in far worse shape than the bow. They did not have much time to explore, as others were waiting to take ''Knorr'' on other scientific pursuits, but his fame was now assured. He originally planned to keep the location secret to prevent anyone from claiming prizes. He considered the site a cemetery and refused to desecrate it by removing artifacts.{{citation_needed|date=August 2019}}

On July 12, 1986, Ballard and his team returned on board ''Atlantis II'' <ref name="Discovery"/> to make the first detailed study of the wreck. This time, he brought ''Alvin''. It was accompanied by ''Jason Junior'', a small remotely operated vehicle that could fit through small openings to see into the ship's interior. Although the first dive (taking over two hours) encountered technical problems, subsequent ones were far more successful and produced a detailed photographic record of the wreck's condition.{{citation_needed|date=August 2019}}

In 1988, Ballard published a book, ''Discovery Of The Titanic: Exploring The Greatest Of All Lost Ships'', {{ISBN|0-446-51385-7}} and he later recounted the specifics of the expedition for ''National Geographic'' in a video.<ref>{{cite magazine|author1=Dawn McCarty |author2=Jef Feeley |author3=Chris Dixon| url=https://news.nationalgeographic.com/2017/11/titanic-nuclear-submarine-scorpion-thresher-ballard/|title=How Did the 'Unsinkable' Titanic End Up at the Bottom of the Ocean?|magazine=National Geographic|date=November 24, 2017|access-date=September 2, 2018|archive-date=January 6, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210106102453/https://www.nationalgeographic.com/news/2017/11/titanic-nuclear-submarine-scorpion-thresher-ballard/|url-status=dead}}</ref>

Many of the relics retrieved by various groups, not including Ballard, from RMS ''Titanic'' were owned by [[Premier Exhibitions]] which filed for bankruptcy in 2016. In late August 2018, the groups vying for ownership of the 5,500 relics included one by museums in England and Northern Ireland with assistance from filmmaker [[James Cameron]] and some financial support from [[National Geographic]].<ref>{{cite magazine|author1=Dawn McCarty | author2=Jef Feeley | author3=Chris Dixon | title=James Cameron: Getting Titanic Artifacts to U.K. Would Be 'a Dream'|url=https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/2018/07/news-titanic-uk-belfast-bankruptcy-cameron/|magazine=National Geographic|date=July 24, 2018|access-date=September 2, 2018|archive-date=September 2, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180902220610/https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/2018/07/news-titanic-uk-belfast-bankruptcy-cameron/|url-status=dead}}</ref> Ballard told the news media that he favored this bid since it would ensure that the memorabilia would be permanently displayed in [[Belfast]] and in [[Greenwich]]. A decision as to the outcome was to be made by a [[United States district court]] judge.<ref>{{cite news|author1=Dawn McCarty | author2=Jef Feeley | author3=Chris Dixon|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-08-31/bankrupt-titanic-exhibitor-sets-biggest-sale-ever-of-ship-relics|title=Bankrupt Titanic exhibitor sets biggest sale of ship relics|newspaper=Bloomberg.com|publisher=Bloomberg|date=August 31, 2018|access-date=September 2, 2018|archive-date=September 2, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180902220606/https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-08-31/bankrupt-titanic-exhibitor-sets-biggest-sale-ever-of-ship-relics|url-status=live}}</ref>