USNS ''Eltanin'' (T-AK-270/T-AGOR-8) was an ''Eltanin''-class

cargo ship A cargo ship or freighter is a merchant ship that carries cargo, goods, and materials from one port to another. Thousands of cargo carriers ply the world's seas and oceans each year, handling the bulk of international trade. Cargo ships are usu ...

with an ice-breaking hull acquired by the U.S. Navy in 1957 and then operated by the Navy in a non-commissioned status, named after Eltanin, a star in the constellation

Draco Draco is the Latin word for serpent or dragon. Draco or Drako may also refer to: People * Draco (lawgiver) (from Greek: Δράκων; 7th century BC), the first lawgiver of ancient Athens, Greece, from whom the term ''draconian'' is derived * D ...

. Her designation was changed to that of an

oceanographic research ship Oceanography (), also known as oceanology and ocean science, is the scientific study of the oceans. It is an Earth science, which covers a wide range of topics, including ecosystem dynamics; ocean currents, waves, and geophysical fluid dynamics ...

in 1962 when she operated in

Antarctic The Antarctic ( or , American English also or ; commonly ) is a polar region around Earth's South Pole, opposite the Arctic region around the North Pole. The Antarctic comprises the continent of Antarctica, the Kerguelen Plateau and other ...

waters.

Construction

''Eltanin'' (T-AK-270) was launched on 16 January 1957 by Avondale Marine Ways, Inc.,

Avondale, Louisiana Avondale is a census-designated place (CDP) in Jefferson Parish, Louisiana, United States, on the west bank of the Mississippi River. The population was 4,582 in 2020. It is part of the New Orleans– Metairie–Kenner metropolitan statist ...

. She was turned over to the

Military Sea Transportation Service Military Sealift Command (MSC) is an organization that controls the replenishment and military transport ships of the United States Navy. Military Sealift Command has the responsibility for providing sealift and ocean transportation for all US m ...

(MSTS) in October 1957 for operation in a noncommissioned status.

Conversion to research ship

During 1961 and 1962, ''Eltanin'' was modified throughout at a New York shipyard to fill a new role as a floating laboratory. Former cargo spaces were replaced with labs, workshops, and staterooms for scientists, and further labs were added above decks. Anti-roll tanks were also added, along with protective bulwarks. On 23 August 1962 her classification was changed to

Oceanographic Research Vessel A research vessel (RV or R/V) is a ship or boat designed, modified, or equipped to carry out research at sea. Research vessels carry out a number of roles. Some of these roles can be combined into a single vessel but others require a dedicated ...

and designated ''T-AGOR-8''.

Antarctic duty

''Eltanin'' was assigned to the

National Science Foundation The National Science Foundation (NSF) is an independent agency of the United States government that supports fundamental research and education in all the non-medical fields of science and engineering. Its medical counterpart is the National I ...

to support the Foundation's Antarctic Research Program with the ship operated by the Military Sea Transportation Service. The ship worked in the Antarctic Ocean becoming the first Antarctic research ship to do so. After two shakedown cruises in the Atlantic Ocean and a positioning cruise with further testing en route, ''Eltanin'' operated a total of 52 Antarctic research cruises from July 5, 1962 thru December 29, 1972. Over this time, some 80% of the southern ocean was surveyed, and a total of 400,000 miles traveled. Some of ''Eltanins research cruises collected magnetic profiles of the sea floor that proved to be pivotal evidence in the acceptance of the continental drift theory, by proving the existence of sea floor spreading. These key profiles, which show symmetric bands of alternating magnetic orientation (corresponding to magnetic pole reversals) around various undersea ridges, are known by the ship's name and cruise number (ex. ''Eltanin-19''). As of mid-1973, ''Eltanin'' was laid up in San Francisco Bay, her research career at an end.

Argentine Navy service

In 1974 she was transferred to the

Argentine Navy The Argentine Navy (ARA; es, Armada de la República Argentina). This forms the basis for the navy's ship prefix "ARA". is the navy of Argentina. It is one of the three branches of the Armed Forces of the Argentine Republic, together with the ...

in a 5-year lease and renamed ''ARA Islas Orcadas''. In 1978 she participated in an expedition in the Weddell Sea during which its crew discovered an igneous underwater formation, baptized ''Virginia Range''. At the end of the lease period it was returned to the

US Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage of ...

in Norfolk, Virginia, on 1 August 1979.

Inactivation

''Eltanin'' was placed out of service at an unknown date and struck from the Naval Vessel Register, also at an unknown date, and transferred to the

U.S. Maritime Administration The United States Maritime Administration (MARAD) is an agency of the United States Department of Transportation. MARAD administers financial programs to develop, promote, and operate the U.S. Maritime Service and the U.S. Merchant Marine. De ...

for lay up in the

National Defense Reserve Fleet The National Defense Reserve Fleet (NDRF) consists of ships of the United States of America, mostly merchant vessels, that have been "mothballed" but can be activated within 20 to 120 days to provide shipping during national military emergencies ...

. Eltanin was returned by Argentina in early 1990. USS Eltanin was laid up, pending title transfer for disposal, in the James River anchorage of the National Defense Reserve Fleet (NDRF), on February 21, 1990. The U.S. Navy officially passed title of the vessel to the Maritime Administration on July 2 of that year. MARAD sold Eltanin for scrap on November 22, 1991, and it departed the reserve fleet on March 18, 1992.

References

Notes

Sources

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NavSource Online: Service Ship Photo Archive - T-AK-270 / T-AGOR-8 Eltanin

Lamont–Doherty Earth Observatory history

USNS Eltanin's 55 Cruises-Scientific Accomplishments

USNS Eltanin: Four Years of Research
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