SEE IT FOR YOURSELF !
MAIN MAST
WAYFINDING : ANYTIME , ANYWHERE
Global positioning systems are integrated with Sally Ride ’ s onboard navigation and sensor suite so that scientists can find and revisit any spot on the ocean , time after time . And with its dynamic positioning system , Sally Ride can hold position on that spot within the length of a pickup truck — even when faced with tremendous waves and winds .
Join us on October 29 in downtown San Diego for Alumni Day aboard the R / V Sally Ride . Learn more at alumni . ucsd . edu / sallyride
BROADBAND INTERNET ON THE HIGH SEAS
Scientists need an innovative solution to enable web communications for transmitting data and research results ashore . Enter HiSeaNet , a satellite broadband system developed by scientists at Scripps and UC San Diego , which uses motion-stabilized antennas to beam data to a ground station at UC San Diego ’ s supercomputing center via geosynchronous satellites .
FORWARD SCIENCE MAST ( RETRACTABLE )
35-PERSON LIFE RAFTS ( 2 EACH PORT & STARBOARD )
KNUCKLE CRANE ( PORTABLE )
SALLY RIDE
SERVING AMERICA ’ S SEAGOING SCIENTISTS
This newest addition to the U . S . oceanographic research fleet was built by the U . S . Navy to be operated by Scripps , for the benefit of U . S . seagoing scientists whose research is supported by federal and state agencies and private foundations . Any scientist can schedule projects aboard Sally Ride , because ship assignments are managed through the University-National Oceanographic Laboratory System ( UNOLS ), which coordinates America ’ s academic research fleet to ensure fair and equal access and efficient , cost-effective ship use .
BASELINE
A 70-foot telescoping knuckle boom crane stands poised like its namesake finger joint at the ship ' s stern , ready to lift and transfer up to 22,000 pounds of gear or samples from the seafloor . Nearby , a pair of robotic load-handling cranes can deploy and recover heavy equipment over the side of the ship , from electronic instrumentation to towed instrument packages . Fully computer-controlled , it ’ s much more sophisticated than the winch-and-pulley systems used on older ships . Whoever maneuvers the pair of robotic arms does so while perched above them in a glass-pod control station that can best be described as extremely cool .
The Sally Ride accommodates a crew of 20 , which includes the ship ’ s captain , the engineers who work under Bueren , and other support staff , including the galley cooks who feed everyone three square meals a day .
“ The ship is like a building on water ,” says Bueren . “ Once we leave the dock , we have to deal with sewage , lights , water and power . The goal is that nobody realizes that this is all going on down in the engine room . We try to make it seamless .”
Stints at sea will last up to 40 days , which requires an immense amount of planning , from the paperwork needed to enter global ports to stocking the kitchen with fresh food . Its operations are as shipshape as the physical space , with every inch of the Sally Ride serving a purpose , from the maze of interior passageways and ladders to the tidy break room . The best view in the place by far is the pilot house , a commanding headquarters filled with digital displays and other modern equipment juxtaposed against classic wood cabinets holding rolls of paper maps . A huge expanse of window glass frames whatever panoramic view might lie ahead as the ship carries out scientific missions across the globe .
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