RS RocketShip

"RocketShip" redirects here. For other uses, see rocketship (disambiguation).

R/S RocketShip in 2019
History
Name
  • MV Delta Mariner (1999-2019)
  • RS RocketShip (2019-present)
OwnerBanc of America Leasing & Capital
OperatorKeystone Shipping Company
Port of registryPort Canaveral, Florida[1]
Builder
Laid downOctober 26, 1998[1]
LaunchedDecember 16, 1999[2]
ChristenedDecember 16, 1999[3]
In serviceMay 18, 2000[1]
RecommissionedSeptember 27, 2019[6]
Identification
General characteristics
TypeRoll-on/roll-off cargo ship
Tonnage
  • 8,679 GT
  • 3,953 NT
  • 3,887.6 LT DWT
  • 3,950 t DWT
Length312.6 ft (95.28 m)[1]
Beam82.0 ft (24.99 m)[1]
Height50 ft (15.2 m)[7]
Draft15.2 ft (4.64 m)[5]
Depth20.0 ft (6.09 m)[1]
Installed power
Speed
  • 15 kn (28 km/h; 17 mph) (max. ocean)
  • 5 kn (9.3 km/h; 5.8 mph) (max. river)[7]
Crew16 + river pilots[8]

R/S RocketShip,[10] formerly M/V Delta Mariner, is a roll-on/roll-off cargo ship operated by Keystone Shipping Company for United Launch Alliance (ULA).[11] Her primary role is transporting components for the ULA Atlas V, Delta IV and Vulcan rockets from the manufacturer, located in Decatur, Alabama, to launch facilities at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida and Vandenberg Space Force Base in California.

The ship is designed for shallow inland waterways as well as the open ocean and is capable of carrying up to three 160-foot-long (49 m) Delta IV Common Booster Cores.[12][13] Some cargos carried by RocketShip were formerly transported by an Antonov An-124 Ruslan from the manufacturer to the launch site.[14]

  1. ^ a b c d e f "RocketShip (0038725)". ABS Record. American Bureau of Shipping. Retrieved September 28, 2019.
  2. ^ "Boeing sets sail with world's newest rocket ship" (Press release). Boeing. Spaceflight Now. December 16, 1999. Retrieved January 31, 2012.
  3. ^ "World's Newest Rocket Ship Ready for Launch in Mississippi" (Press release). Boeing. December 15, 1999. Retrieved October 26, 2019.
  4. ^ Salazar, Larry (August 6, 2001). "Delta Mariner Arrival Will Launch Boeing Delta IV on Final Leg of Journey" (Press release). Boeing. Archived from the original on February 1, 2012. Retrieved January 28, 2012.
  5. ^ a b "Delta Mariner (IMO 9198501) - Ro-Ro Cargo Ship". Vessel Tracking. Retrieved September 28, 2019.
  6. ^ Cite error: The named reference waay20190927 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  7. ^ a b Gossett, Dave (October 24, 2008). "Delta Mariner sails the Ohio River". Herald-Star. Archived from the original on June 28, 2009.
  8. ^ Hatton, Angie (January 31, 2012). "Delta Mariner salvage plan moves ahead with assistance from Murray company". Murray Ledger & Times. Retrieved February 6, 2012.
  9. ^ a b c "Authority to Construct/Permit to Operate No. 10846-02" (PDF). SBCAPCD.org. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 18, 2007. Retrieved February 1, 2012.
  10. ^ @ToryBruno (September 27, 2019). "An updated infographic for the Rocketship" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  11. ^ Cite error: The named reference ntsbmar1302 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  12. ^ Saxer, Robert K; Knauf, James M; Drake, Linda R; Portanova, Pete L (March–April 2002). "Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle Systems" (PDF). Project Manager. 31 (2).
  13. ^ Cox, Martin (January 27, 2012). "MV Delta Mariner Rocket Carrier Destroys Kentucky Bridge". Maritime Matters. Retrieved January 27, 2012.
  14. ^ Bergin, Chris (July 30, 2011). "NASA Juno FRR completed – Atlas and Delta share a ride on the Mariner". NASASpaceflight.com. Retrieved January 30, 2012.