Page 25: of Marine Technology Magazine (January 2006)

www.seadiscovery.com Marine Technology Reporter 25 the Institute for Exploration in Mystic, Conn., and The

Champlin Foundations. (NOTE: The Inner Space Center and its role in connection with NOAA’s exploration vessel

Okeanos Explorer, introducing new exploratory paradigm based upon "tele-presence" technology, is the subject a feature article written by Dr. Robert Ballard, Dr. Steve

Hammond, and Dr. Larry Mayer, to be published in the

March 2006 edition of Marine Technology Reporter.)

The Okeanos will carry a broad range of oceanographic sensors including a hull mounted multi-beam sonar and other sensors under development, but at the heart of the sensor suite aboard Okeanos Explorer is a family of deep submergence vehicle systems including towed sonar, imaging, remotely operated, and autonomous vehicles.

Data generated from this array of sensors will flow into the ship's command control center, displayed on banks of high definition plasma and CRT screens for use by the exploration team. The displays on the command/control console at which the watch leader aboard the Okeanos sits will be transmitted in real time via satellite to an identical command/control console within the URI Inner Space

Center, operated by members of the team of engineers and technicians that rotates on a regular schedule between the Okeanos and the Inner Space Center.

From the Inner Space Center, the same data stream will follow via Internet2 to a host of sites across the country.

Here the multi-disciplinary team monitoring the explo- ration mission will be able to go should a discovery be made that needs their expertise to exploit any discoveries.

All of the consoles will have 16-channels of two-way com- munications so that the personnel involved at that moment in the operations aboard ship and ashore can

Shore-based command/control center within the URI Inner Space Center linked to the ship in real time.

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