Much like the man for which it’s named, the ocean research vessel Neil Armstrong is braving a strange new environment – fresh water.
The 238-foot research vessel operated by the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution has made its way down the St. Lawrence River, through locks and Great Lakes, and has arrived in Duluth, Minn.
The ship is supporting an effort to detect neutrinos in Lake Superior. Neutrinos are subatomic particles with no electrical charge that are difficult to detect. The project is led by the University of Minnesota Duluth.
The ship is carrying large frames called detector arrays, fabricated at WHOI to aid in the research.
According to WHOI, the Armstrong will spend two weeks placing the frames on the bottom of Lake Superior. The 30-foot tall frames weigh about 8,000 pounds when mounted with equipment and must be placed in precise locations.
The ship and crew are scheduled to begin the return trip to Woods Hole on November 28.
