As a vessel of global endurance, the Sally Ride 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 Sally Ride 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 first American woman in space, the R/V Sally Ride will carry on its namesake’s inspiring legacy of exploration and knowledge. Although owned by the Office of Naval Research (ONR), Scripps Institution of Oceanography (SIO) in San Diego 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 West Coast. The R/V Sally Ride represents the latest technology and replaces the current AGOR vessel at SIO, the R/V Melville, which has been in operation for more than 45 years.
As a vessel of global endurance, the Sally Ride 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 Sally Ride 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.