RV Neil Armstrong

RV Neil Armstrong (AGOR-27) is the designation for a new oceanographic research ship, first of the Neil Armstrong-class research vessels, to be owned by the United States Navy and operated by Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution.^[1] Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus announced on September 24, 2012, that the research vessel was to be named after Neil Armstrong, the first person to walk on the Moon and a former naval aviator who served in the Korean War.^[2]

RV Neil Armstrong

Neil Armstrong on 28 March 2014, the day before her christening
History
United States
Name	Neil Armstrong
Namesake	Neil Armstrong
Owner	Office of Naval Research
Operator	Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
Ordered	October 14, 2010
Builder	Dakota Creek Industries, Anacortes, Washington
Laid down	August 17, 2012
Launched	February 22, 2014
Acquired	September 23, 2015
Identification	IMO number: 9688946 MMSI number: 338767000 Callsign: WARL
Status	in active service
General characteristics
Class and type	Neil Armstrong-class research vessel
Displacement	3043 long tons
Length	238 ft (73 m)
Beam	50 ft (15 m)
Draft	15 feet
Installed power	(x2) Siemens AC Electric Motors
Speed	12 knots (22 km/h; 14 mph) (max)
Range	10,545 nautical miles (19,529 km; 12,135 mi)
Endurance	40 Days
Crew	20 Crew + 24 Scientists[1]

The ship was ordered in May 2010 as a replacement for RV Knorr, operated by Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution since 1970.^[3] The ship was constructed by Dakota Creek Industries of Anacortes, Washington and scheduled for completion in 2014 for entry into service in 2015.^[4]

It was launched on 29 March 2014, christened by Carol Armstrong,^[5] passed sea trials 7 August 2015 and delivered to the Navy on 23 September 2015. A sister ship, RV Sally Ride (AGOR-28), was launched 9 August 2014 to be operated by Scripps Institution of Oceanography under a renewable charter-party agreement.^[6]

Construction

Neil Armstrong is a commercially designed mono hull research vessel, capable of coastal and deep ocean oceanography operations, and equipped with cranes and winches for over-the-side loading of research equipment and supplies, as well as accommodations for twenty-four scientists. The ship is powered by a multi-drive low-voltage diesel electric propulsion system for efficiency and lower maintenance and fuel costs. Both Neil Armstrong-class ships have state of the art oceanographic equipment allowing deep ocean mapping and information technology for ship monitoring and worldwide land-based communication.^[7]

Labs

Neil Armstrong has more than 130 square meters of adjustable lab space, supplied by a flash evaporation desalination system.^[1]

See also

• RV Sally Ride - Sister Ship
• Oscar Dyson class fisheries research ship - Parent design from which the Neil Armstrong class was derived.
• RV Knorr - Predecessor to the Neil Armstrong
• RRS James Cook - British equivalent
• RRS Charles Darwin - Predecessor to the James Cook