A smiling Dr. Robert Ballard puts the finishing touches on the repaired tether cable between the Hercules (behind him) and Argus ROVs. Minutes later, the ROVs were launched from the deck of the NOAA research vessel Ronald H. Brown and began their descent to the Titanic wreckage 12,500 feet below. The descent took about four hours.
Finishing Touches
Image courtesy of Mike Sweeney © National Geographic Society. Download image (jpg, 99 KB).

A smiling Dr. Robert Ballard puts the finishing touches on the repaired tether cable between the Hercules (behind him) and Argus ROVs. Minutes later, the ROVs were launched from the deck of the NOAA research vessel Ronald H. Brown and began their descent to the Titanic wreckage 12,500 feet below. The descent took about four hours.