As a vessel of global endurance, the Neil Armstrong has a range of 11,500nm over 40 days and has the ability to sail at a sustained speed of 12 knots. It is outfitted with 20 berths allotted for crew members and 24 for scientists. This vessel is equipped with diesel electric propulsion through four diesel generators producing 1044 kW each. Some of the high-tech features include: acoustic navigation and tracking systems that operate at various depths; a specially designed hull that diverts bubbles from the sonar area; a centralized freshwater cooling system to provide heating, ventilation and air conditioning; and dual-controllable propellers with variable speed motors for increased efficiency. The Neil Armstrong is single hulled and designed to operate in rough seas and windy conditions, allowing it to operate year-round. It is capable of performing integrated and interdisciplinary oceanographic research in areas ranging from shallow coastal and continental shelf to tropical and temperate oceans worldwide.
Auxiliary General Oceanographic Research (AGOR) Vessel
Named for the American hero whose “small step” provided humanity with a new perspective on our planet, the R/V Neil Armstrong will carry on its namesake’s amazing legacy of exploration and discovery of the unknown. Although owned by the Office of Naval Research (ONR), Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute (WHOI) in Massachusetts has been selected to operate this vessel, allowing the ship to serve the academic community’s ongoing need for a general-purpose ship based on the U.S.’s East Coast. The R/V Neil Armstrong represents the latest technology and replaces the current AGOR vessel at WHOI, the R/V Knorr, which has been in operation for more than 45 years.
As a vessel of global endurance, the Neil Armstrong has a range of 11,500nm over 40 days and has the ability to sail at a sustained speed of 12 knots. It is outfitted with 20 berths allotted for crew members and 24 for scientists. This vessel is equipped with diesel electric propulsion through four diesel generators producing 1044 kW each. Some of the high-tech features include: acoustic navigation and tracking systems that operate at various depths; a specially designed hull that diverts bubbles from the sonar area; a centralized freshwater cooling system to provide heating, ventilation and air conditioning; and dual-controllable propellers with variable speed motors for increased efficiency. The Neil Armstrong is single hulled and designed to operate in rough seas and windy conditions, allowing it to operate year-round. It is capable of performing integrated and interdisciplinary oceanographic research in areas ranging from shallow coastal and continental shelf to tropical and temperate oceans worldwide.