Titanic engineers worked to keep lights on "until the bitter end," new research shows

April 14 marks the 113th anniversary of the R.M.S. Titanic’s sinking—an event that has fueled global fascination for over a century.

Ahead of the anniversary, National Geographic presents "Titanic: The Digital Resurrection," a groundbreaking 90-minute documentary that offers an unprecedented look at history’s most infamous maritime disaster.

Using exclusive access to cutting-edge underwater scanning technology, including 715,000 digitally captured images, the special unveils the most precise model of the Titanic ever created: a full-scale, 1:1 digital twin, accurate down to the rivet.

From award-winning Atlantic Productions, "Titanic: The Digital Resurrection" premieres Friday, April 11, at 9/8c on National Geographic, streaming the next day on Disney+ and Hulu.

In 2022, award-winning and pioneering filmmaker Anthony Geffen and his team followed deep-sea mapping company Magellan as they undertook the largest underwater 3D scanning project of its kind, mapping the wreck 12,500 feet below the North Atlantic. Over three weeks, they worked around the clock, producing 16 terabytes of data, 715,000 still images, and 4K footage, capturing the Titanic in unparalleled detail.

After nearly two years of analysis, a team of leading historians, engineers, and forensic experts, including Titanic analyst Parks Stephenson, metallurgist Jennifer Hooper, and master mariner Captain Chris Hearn, come together in "Titanic: The Digital Resurrection" to reconstruct the ship’s final moments—challenging long-held assumptions and revealing new insights into what truly happened on that fateful night in 1912.

Stephenson, Hooper, and Hearn dissect the wreckage up close on a full-scale colossal LED volume stage, walking around the ship in its final resting place.

From the boiler room where engineers worked valiantly to keep the lights on until the bitter end to the first-class cabins where the ship ripped in two, the scan brings them face-to-face with where the tragedy unfolded.

Notable insights include the following:

Visible Open Steam Valve

The team discovers a steam valve in the open position, validating eyewitness accounts that the ship’s engineers remained at their posts in boiler room two for over two hours after impact, keeping the electricity on and allowing wireless distress signals to be sent. The 35 men may have saved hundreds of lives while sacrificing their own.

Hull Fragments

Sifting through the hull fragments scattered across the wreck site, the team reconstructs them like a puzzle, providing a startling glimpse into the ocean liner’s final moments. 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.

First Officer William Murdoch

Further analysis of the digital scans adds to the evidence exonerating First Officer Murdoch, long accused of abandoning his post.

The position of a lifeboat davit—seen in new hi-res detail—suggests his crew was preparing a launch moments before the starboard side was engulfed, corroborating Second Officer Charles Lightoller’s testimony that Murdoch was swept away by the sea.

The 90-minute special also examines in stunning detail the 15-square-mile debris field, rich with hundreds of personal artifacts, including pocket watches, purses, gold coins, hair combs, shoes, and a shark’s tooth charm, offering a poignant glimpse into the lives lost. Historian Yasmin Khan and the team connect these items to their original owners.

Scans also reveal the wreck’s alarming deterioration, with iconic areas of the wreck already collapsing.

However, thanks to this digital twin, the Titanic is preserved in perfect detail as it appeared in 2022, securing its place in history for generations to come and marking a new era in underwater archaeology.

"Titanic: The Digital Resurrection" is produced by Atlantic Productions for National Geographic. For Atlantic, Anthony Geffen produces, Lina Zilinskaite is the senior producer and Fergus Colville is the director. Simon Raikes and Chad Cohen serve as executive producers for National Geographic

"Titanic: Digital Resurrection" premieres tonight, Friday, April 11 at 9/8c on National Geographic and streams the next day on Disney+ and Hulu.