Page 39: of Marine Technology Magazine (January 2023)

U.S. Navy to Name Oceanographic Survey Ship

In 2019, Nautilus plied the Paci? c waters off the

USNS island of Nikuma- roro, searching for any sign of

Amelia Earhart’s

Robert lost plane. In the cool, dark control room, we kept a 24-hour vigil.

Ballard

The U.S. Navy’s next Path? nder-class oceanographic survey ship will be named

USNS Robert Ballard (T-AGS 67), Sec- retary of the Navy (SECNAV) Carlos Del

Toro announced last month. The name selection follows the tradition of naming survey ships after explorers, oceanogra- phers and distinguished marine survey-

Image used with permission Gabriel Scarlett/National Geographic Image Collection ors. Widely known as a discoverer of the ? nal resting place of the R.M.S. Titanic, Equipped with a moon pool for un- in San Diego, Calif. After he graduated

Dr. Ballard is a retired U.S. Navy Com- manned vehicle deployment and re- from the University of California, Santa mander, former director of the Center for trieval, T-AGS 67 will be a multi-mission Barbara, in 1965, he earned an Army Re-

Ocean Exploration, and a tenured profes- ship that will perform acoustic, biologi- serve Commission, ultimately requesting sor of oceanography at the University cal, physical and geophysical surveys, and transferring to the United States Navy of Rhode Island’s Graduate School of providing much of the U.S. military’s in- when called to active service in 1967. As- formation on the ocean environment. The signed to the Of? ce of Naval Research as

Oceanography.

vessel will be over 350 feet long with an a liaison of? cer at Woods Hole Oceano- “Dr. Ballard’s career, explorations, re- search and focus on teaching the next overall beam of 58 feet. graphic Institution in Massachusetts, generation of oceanographers is remark- T-AGS 67 will be operated by the Mili- Ballard worked extensively with deep- tary Sealift Command (MSC), which submergence vehicle Alvin (DSV-2). able, and I am pleased to name T-AGS 67 in his honor,” Del Toro said. “One of my consists of non-combatant, civilian After transitioning to the Naval Reserve crewed ships that replenish U.S. Navy in 1970, he completed a Ph.D. in marine enduring priorities is building a culture of war? ghting excellence, and that includes ships, chart ocean bottoms, conduct un- geology and geophysics at the University dersea surveillance, tactically preposition of Rhode Island. He continued to work at lifelong learning amongst DoN person- nel. The name Robert Ballard displayed combat cargo at sea and move military Woods Hole, where he was part of a team across the stern of this ship will serve equipment and supplies used by de- that discovered deep-sea thermal vents as an inspiration to all who see it while ployed U.S. forces around the world. near the Galapagos Rift. Best known for “I am humbled to have the U.S. Navy’s his 1985 discovery of R.M.S. Titanic at a highlighting the results of commitment to education and exploration.” oceanographic ship, USNS Robert Bal- depth of 12,000 feet, Ballard also led oth-

In addition, Barbara Earle Ballard, Dr. lard (T-AGS 67) as a namesake. As a er shipwreck discoveries, including USS 17-year-old, in 1959, I went on my very Yorktown (CV-5), USS Quincy (CA-39)

Ballard’s spouse and President of Odys- sey Enterprises, has been designated as ? rst oceanographic cruise, and very early and President John F Kennedy’s PT-109. in my oceanographic career, the U.S. Ballard retired from U.S. Naval Service the ship’s sponsor.

Navy placed a central role and continues in 1995. In 1989, he founded the distance

The $149 million oceanographic sur- vey ship was ordered from Pascagoula, to do so to this day,” said Dr. Robert Bal- learning program the JASON Project, lard. “It is indeed an honor to know that which reached 12 million school chil-

Miss. shipyard Halter Marine—now Bol- linger MS Shipbuilding—in June 2021, the USNS Robert Ballard will continue to dren; and the Institute for Exploration in and its keel was ceremonially laid in Oc- explore the oceans long after I am gone.” Mystic, Conn, and is also the founder and

Ballard was born in 1942, growing up president of the Ocean Exploration Trust. tober 2022.

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