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Neil Armstrong News

02 Aug 2021

Eye on the Navy: Navy extends Life for Research Ships, but Says Farewell to FLIP

Tugs guide the Department of the Navy's Floating Instrument Platform (FLIP) from her berth at the Nimitz Marine Facility in Point Loma, Calif. (U.S. Navy photo by John F. Williams/Released)

The U.S. Navy’s three Global class oceanographic research ships (AGORs) have received a new lease on life. The ships-- R/V Thomas G. Thompson (AGOR 23), R/V Roger Revelle (AGOR 24) and R/V Atlantis (AGOR 25)-- which entered service between 1991 and 1998--were built with 30-year expected service lives. Thanks to extensive overhauls on all three they have been returned to service with another 15 years of useful service.AGOR 23 is operated by the University of Washington; AGOR 24 is operated by Scripps Institution of Oceanography…

26 May 2017

Parade Of Ships Kicks Off Fleet Week in New York

U.S. Army Garrison Fort Hamilton held a salute to the participating ships of 2017 Fleet Week New York (FWNY) during the official Parade of Ships kickoff May 24. Amphibious assault ship USS Kearsarge (LHD 3) rendered a seven-gun salute with U.S. Army Garrison Fort Hamilton, with Fort Hamilton providing a 15-gun salute in return. "New York has always had a close relationship with the military," said Anthony Giovinco, U.S. Navy Vietnam veteran and chief of staff and secretary of the United Military Veterans of Kings County Memorial Day Parade. "The Sailors, Marines and Coast Guardsmen are treated very well here. This is a tradition that is important to me.

24 May 2017

Ships Parade Kicks off NY Fleet Week

Photo: Jeff O’Malley

From the tree lighting at Rockefeller Center to New Year's Eve in Times Square, New York’s time-honored traditions are some of the most well-known around the world. Arriving today as part of another New York tradition, a “parade of ships” from several branches of the U.S. military (and one ship from Canada) sailed into the New York Harbor and up the Hudson River from Battery Park to just south of the George Washington Bridge, for the 29th annual Fleet Week New York (FWNY). Now in its 29th year…

19 May 2017

RV Sally Ride Enters Dry Dock for Maintenance

Photo courtesy of Bay Ship and Yacht

The Sally Ride, a Neil Armstrong Class Auxiliary General Oceanographic Research (AGOR) vessel, dry docked at Bay Ship and Yacht on April 15, 2017, to carry out modifications to superstructure and to perform general vessel maintenance. Named for the late astronaut Sally Ride, the ship is 238 feet long and incorporates the latest technologies, including high-efficiency diesel engines, emissions controls for stack gases, and new information technology tools both for monitoring shipboard systems and for communicating with the world.

07 Apr 2016

RV Neil Armstrong Arrives in Woods Hole

The research vessel Neil Armstrong was met by a jubilant crowd at the WHOI dock Wednesday, as it arrived to its homeport for the first time. (Photo by Daniel Cojanu, WHOI)

The research vessel Neil Armstrong arrived to its home port at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) dock for the first time Wednesday, escorted by the WHOI coastal research vessel R/V Tioga, two Coast Guard vessels and fireboats from neighboring towns. “What a wonderful day for Woods Hole, for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, for Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, and the entire ocean science community,” enthused WHOI President and Director Mark Abbott. “We’re very proud to have been selected by the Office of Naval Research to operate the Neil Armstrong. Six years ago, the U.S.

04 Apr 2016

Research Vessel Neil Armstrong Joins WHOI Fleet

R/V Neil Armstrong sails into San Francisco Harbor at the conclusion of the first leg of its inaugural voyage in late 2015. (Image by Aerial Productions, ©Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution)

I woke up the first night out of Anacortes, Washington, when the ship dropped out from under me and I levitated off my bunk. Then came the sound of shuffleboard in the conference room one deck above. The only trouble was, there's no shuffleboard on the research vessel Neil Armstrong. It was Halloween 2015 in the Northeast Pacific. We were in the first hours of the first voyage of the newest ship in the U.S. academic research fleet, and we were already plowing through 15-foot waves. But the ship’s motion made it feel more like we were facing much heavier seas.

26 Feb 2016

RV Sally Ride Completes Builder's Trials

R/V Sally Ride (AGOR 28) is prepared for a christening ceremony at Dakota Creek Industries, Inc. shipyard in Anacortes, Wash. R/V Sally Ride is the second in the Neil Armstrong-class of research vessels and features a modern suite of oceanographic and acoustic ocean mapping equipment. (U.S. Navy photo by John F. Williams)

The U.S. Navy's new Auxiliary General Purpose Oceanographic Research Vessel (AGOR), R/V Sally Ride (AGOR 28), has completed builder's trials, February 21, off the coast of Anacortes, Wash. Builder's trials for Sally Ride tested various shipboard systems and ensured readiness prior to conducting acceptance trials with the U.S. Navy's Board of Inspection and Survey. The propulsion system, mission-over-the-side handling equipment, anchor handling system and work/rescue boat launch system were among the systems successfully demonstrated.

27 Oct 2015

North Pole: The Latest Tourist Trap

Dennis Bryant

On August 16, 2015, the geographic North Pole was visited by a Russian surface ship for the one-hundredth time. The Russian nuclear icebreaker 50 Let Pobedy (50 Years of Victory) carried 106 tourists from 16 different countries. This was the icebreaker’s seventh cruise to the Pole just this season. Each voyage takes just less than two weeks round trip, and that includes a full day of partying at the top of the world. This is all available for a starting cost of $26,995 per person for a basic two-person cabin with a standard twin bed…

06 Aug 2015

Allied Marine Crane Outfits R/V Neil Armstrong

(Photo: Allied Marine Crane)

The U.S. Navy’s research vessel Neil Armstrong (AGOR-27), scheduled for completion this year, is equipped with a modern array of oceanographic research equipment. To handle this equipment, Allied Marine Crane, a division of Allied Systems, Co., was chosen to design and manufacture two cranes, one A-frame, one davit, two handling systems and two hydraulic power units. Allied Marine Crane equipment was specified based on their history with research equipment handling, their proven design and build capabilities, and strong working relationship with marine winch supplier Markey Machinery.

13 Jan 2015

Great Ships of 2014: R/V Neil Armstrong - Multifaceted Sea Explorer

 Two ships, $145m GPA designed Diesel Electric propulsion

The Ocean Class Auxiliary General Oceanographic Research (AGOR) vessel hull number 27 started its official life as the R/V Neil Armstrong, the first research vessel named after a space explorer. The ship was designed by Guido Perla and Associates and built at Dakota Creek Industries (DCI). R/V Neil Armstrong will replace the R/V Knorr, in service since 1968, one year before Armstrong’s walk on the moon. The R/V Knorr, AGOR-15, is retiring after logging over one million miles in service to the Navy and WHOI.

06 Jan 2015

US Research Ships Ready to Cast Off in 2015

Two new U.S. research vessels are going full steam ahead: the U.S. National Science Foundation will formally commission its Arctic-bound Sikuliaq, and the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution’s Neil Armstrong will begin science operations. Live Science reports that two new U.S. research ships will take to the seas in the Arctic and Atlantic in 2015, allowing scientists around the world to explore the geology, biology and health of the oceans. The ocean researchers said that the U.S. National Science Foundation has commissioned the Arctic research vessel Sikuliaq. The Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution's (WHOI) ship, dubbed Neil Armstrong, will begin science operations later.

11 Aug 2014

Oceanographic R/V 'Sally Ride' Christened

Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus named the 'R/V Sally Ride' to honor the memory of Sally Ride, a scientist, innovator and educator. Ride was the first American woman and the youngest person in space. She later served as director of NASA’s Office of Exploration as well as the California Space Institute at University of California San Diego. “The christening of this ship is not only a celebration of the hard work and dedication of the men and women who have brought this vessel from an idea to a reality, but also of the spirit of exploration and discovery shared by Sally Ride and the United States Navy,” said Mabus. The Neil Armstrong-class…

16 May 2014

U.S. Navy's AGOR 27: R/V Neil Armstrong

The ship as it was moved into the water at Dakota Creek Industries shipyard in Anacortes, Washington. (Photo courtesy of Gary McGrath, WHOI)

On March 29, the Ocean Class Auxiliary General Oceanographic Research (AGOR) vessel hull number 27 started its official life as the R/V Neil Armstrong, the first research vessel named after a space explorer. Carol Armstrong, the widow of the famed astronaut, performed the christening duties during a brief sunbreak on a windy and rainy Pacific Northwest afternoon. The number of illustrious speakers highlighted the rich diversity of agencies involved in the design, construction and operation of the vessel.

02 Apr 2014

Navy Research Vessel Neil Armstrong Christened

Carol Armstrong, ship sponsor for R/V Neil Armstrong, breaking the bottle across the bow.

Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering company Guido Perla & Associates, Inc. (GPA) announced that the christening ceremony for the Oceanographic Research Vessel AGOR 27, named in honor of the famed Neil Armstrong, was held at Dakota Creek Industries (DCI) in Anacortes, Wash., on March 29, 2014. Kali Armstrong, granddaughter of the late astronaut and the Maid of Honor, sang the National Anthem and Carol Knight Armstrong, Neil Armstrong’s wife, served as the ship’s sponsor, performing the honor of breaking the traditional bottle of champagne across the ship’s bow.

01 Apr 2014

US Navy Adds New Research Vessel

Carol Armstrong, sponsor for the R/V Neil Armstrong , breaks a bottle across bow during a christening ceremony at Dakota Creek Industries, Inc., shipyard in Anacortes, Wash. Joining Carol on the platform are Rear Adm. Matthew Klunder, left, chief of naval research, Dick Nelson, president, Dakota Creek Industries, Inc., and Kali Armstrong, granddaughter of the late astronaut. (U.S. Navy photo by John F. Williams)

Yesterday marked the christening of the U.S. Navy’s new state-of-the-art Auxiliary General Oceanographic Research (AGOR) scientific research vessel R/V Neil Armstrong (AGOR 27) at the Dakota Creek Industries shipyard in Anacortes, Washington. According to the Office of Naval Research (ONR), the newest research vessel will join its six-vessel research fleet next year. Each vesselis assigned to a U.S. oceanographic institution or university, and is operated by a 20-person university crew (up to 24 scientists can be accommodated on Neil Armstrong for research missions lasting up to a month).

25 Mar 2014

Navy Research Vessel Launched with Siemens Propulsion

February 22 marked the launch of Neil Armstrong, the first of two Navy oceanographic research vessels to be launched with Siemens Blue multi-drive low voltage system. Neil Armstrong was launched in Anacortes, Washington. Siemens said the use of Siemens Blue improves the vessels reliability due to failsafe features that help the vessel owner lower maintenance costs, increase efficiency and improve operational ease for the vessel and crew. The ship’s advance design decreases fuel consumption, resulting in reduced emission of harmful greenhouse gases. Siemens provided the main generators, main propulsion and thruster motors, switchboards, power management system and automation system for alarm, monitoring and control functions.

27 Feb 2014

AGOR 27 R/V Neil Armstrong Launched

Seattle-based Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering company Guido Perla & Associates, Inc. (GPA) reports that the launching ceremony of the AGOR 27 R/V Neil Armstrong was held at Dakota Creek Industries (DCI) in Anacortes, Wash., on February 22, 2014. Construction of the complex R/V Neil Armstrong and her sister vessel AGOR 28 R/V Sally Ride, also well under way at DCI, have progressed according to plan, meeting original schedule and cost baselines. Throughout the engineering and construction process of both vessels…

16 Apr 2013

Multiple U.S. Navy Ships Named

Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus announces the names of 7 new ships. “As secretary of the Navy, I have the great privilege of naming ships that will represent America with distinction as part of the fleet for many decades to come,” Mabus said. Names were chosen for  three joint high speed vessels (JHSV), the USNS Trenton, the USNS Brunswick and the USNS Carson City; an amphibious transport dock ship (LPD), the USS Portland; two littoral combat ships (LCS), the USS Wichita and the USS Manchester; and an ocean-class auxiliary general oceanographic research (AGOR) ship, the R/V Sally Ride. Joint high speed vessels are named for small American cities and counties that embody American values. Amphibious transport dock ships are named for major American cities.

08 May 2013

Diesel-Electric Units Prepared for Navy’s AGOR Project

During most of 2012, Cummins Northwest was busy with the procurement of the various subsystems and assembly of the diesel-electric units for the two Ocean Class Auxiliary General Purpose Oceanographic Research (AGOR) vessels building at Dakota Creek Shipyards They delivered the first four-unit ship set in January of this year. Seattle-based Guido Perla & Associates, Inc. did the design work for the two vessels. Four Cummins QSK38-DM powered electrical generators will provide power for each of these 238 by 50-foot vessels.

25 Jun 2013

Diesel-Electric Units Prepared for Navy’s AGOR Project

During most of 2012 Cummins Northwest was busy with the procurement of the various subsystems and assembly of the diesel-electric units for the two Ocean Class Auxiliary General Purpose Oceanographic Research (AGOR) vessels building at Dakota Creek Shipyards. The company delivered the first four-unit ship set in January of this year. Seattle-based Guido Perla & Associates, Inc. has done the design work for the two vessels. Four Cummins QSK38-DM powered electrical generators will provide power for each of these 238 x 50-ft. vessels.

30 Jul 2013

Research Vessels Construction Progressing as Scheduled

AGOR 27 R/V Neil Armstrong and AGOR 28 R/V Sally Ride (left) under construction at Dakota Creek Industries (DCI) in Anacortes, Wash.

Seattle-based Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering company Guido Perla & Associates, Inc. (GPA) reports that construction of the AGOR 27 R/V Neil Armstrong is progressing according to plan at Dakota Creek Industries (DCI) in Anacortes, Wash. A major milestone was achieved recently with the completion of the hull assembly after the stern block was set, followed by the installation of the pilot house. The complex vessels, AGOR 27 and sister vessel AGOR 28 R/V Sally Ride, also well under way at DCI…

02 Oct 2013

Today in U.S. Naval History: October 1

USS Independence (CV-62). Official U.S. Navy Photograph, from the collections of the Naval Historical Center.

Today in U.S. 1800 - U.S. Schooner Experiment captures French Schooner Diana. 1844 - Naval Observatory headed by Lt. Matthew Fontaine Maury occupies first permanent quarters. 1874 - Supply Corps purser, Lt. J. Q. Barton, given leave to enter service of new Japanese Navy to organize a Pay Department and instruct Japanese about accounts. He served until October 1, 1877 when he again became a purser in the U.S. Navy. In 1878, the Emperor of Japan conferred on him the Fourth Class of Rising Sun for his service.

27 Sep 2012

Navy Research Vessel Is Named Neil Armstrong

Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus announced the nation’s newest research vessel will be named the R/V Neil Armstrong, after the renowned astronaut and the first man to set foot on the moon. The ship will be operated by the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI). “We are honored,” said WHOI President and Director Susan Avery. “Neil Armstrong is an American hero, whose ‘small step’ provided humanity with a new perspective on our planet. When he stood on the moon and looked back at the Earth, he saw mostly ocean – the last unexplored frontier on Earth. Armstrong was a Navy fighter pilot who flew 78 combat missions during the Korean War, before moving to NASA’s predecessor agency as an engineer and test pilot, and later an astronaut and administrator.