A view of the bow of the Russian R/V Akademik Mstislav Keldysh docked at St. John’s in Newfoundland, Canada. Click image for a larger view and image credit.
The Keldysh
The Research Vessel (R/V) Akademik Mstislav Keldysh was built by Hollming OY of Finland and is owned and operated by the Institute of Oceanology of the Russian Academy of Sciences. The homeport of this globally ranging vessel is Kaliningrad. The Keldysh was launched in 1981. Since then, it has supported many scientific and exploratory voyages.The Keldysh measures 122 m in length and 17.8 m of beam (width). It displaces 6,240 tons of water. Normal cruising speed for the vessel is 10.5 knots, with a maximum speed of 12.5 knots. The ship has a cruising range of 20,000 nautical miles and is propelled by four 1,460-hp diesel engines. It is equipped with sophisticated satellite navigation and communication equipment. To support submersibles and instrumentation, the ship has 15 winches, 4 cranes and an A-Frame.
Science and Research Support
The R/V Keldysh is an excellent vessel for conducting multidisciplinary research projects that involve large teams of scientists. The vessel can berth up to 47 scientific personnel, 53 officers and crew, and 25 marine technicians. The working space for research includes 17 laboratories. Rocks and biological samples can be examined in the wet lab. Another lab contains sophisticated computers and other electronic equipment.
The largest workspaces on the ship are dedicated to supporting the Mir I and Mir II submersibles. The Keldysh was converted to support these submersibles in 1987. The Mirs are the heart of the Keldysh, and its equipment and crew are optimized to support these deep-diving submersibles. Specialized launch-and-recovery cranes are used to lift the Mirs in and out of the water. Small boats tow them away from the ship and brave divers jump into the water, no matter how frigid, to release the tow lines. Aboard the ship, large “hangar” doors cover the Mirs to protect them from the elements.
The scientists and ship personnel on board are split into “watches” so that a crew of people is always working, collecting data and managing the ship, 24 hours a day. The mess (the cafeteria in shipspeak) serves meals and snacks to the hungry crew and scientists. Recreational facilities include a lounge, library, and exercise room.
