SS Vega (1872)

The Vega, painting by Jacob Hägg
History
NameSS Vega
Port of registrySwedenSweden
Launched1872, in Bremerhaven
OwnerFerguson
Port of registryScotlandDundee, Scotland
Acquired1903
Out of service1903
FateMissing in Melville Bay, Greenland
General characteristics
Class and typeSteamship
Tonnage357 DWT
Length150 ft.
PropulsionSails, 70 hp auxiliary steam engine
Sail planBarque

SS Vega was a Swedish barque, built in Bremerhaven, Germany in 1872. The Vega was the first ship to complete a voyage through the Northeast Passage, and the first vessel to circumnavigate the Eurasian continent, during the Vega expedition. Initially a troubled enterprise, the successful expedition is considered to be among the highest achievements in the history of Swedish science.