Named in honor of the first woman to travel into space, Dr. Sally K. Ride, the R/V Sally Ride is the newest of the United State’s Academic Research Vessels (UNOLS). Operated by the Scripps Institution of Oceanography at the University of California, San Diego, in cooperation with the Office of Naval Research (ONR), Sally Ride represents the new Ocean Class of research vessels. The 238-foot ship features seafloor mapping systems, doppler radar for mapping deep water currents, 2,035 square feet of lab space, and telepresence technologies.The Inner Space Center (ISC) team worked with the Scripps team to install Sally Ride‘s mobile telepresence unit. Telepresence technology enables scientists and the public to watch deep water dives by remotely operated vehicle (ROV) Jason from their home computers, through ship-to-shore broadcasts. The ISC team also provided support for a new data-logging system for onshore scientists, ship-to-shore data synchronization systems, and data transfer/distribution systems. These new technologies will allow onshore scientists around the globe to participate in the scientific process.
This project is part of Sally Ride‘s Science Verification Cruises, a process that confirms the new ship and her crew are ready for operations. You can watch live educational broadcasts from R/V Sally Ride through the ISC website.
Featured image and videos courtesy of the Inner Space Center and Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California, San Diego.