dale Marine Ways, Inc., New Orleans, Louisiana. After having been originally designed as an 

 Arctic/Antarctic ice-strengthened supply ship, MIZAR was converted in 1964 to function as 

 a seaborne scientific research platform for oceanologic research conducted by the Naval Re- 

 search Laboratory. MIZAR is of welded steel construction and is 266 feet long. Displace- 

 ment with fuel load is 4,500 tons. Average speed is 13 knots. 



MIZAR first gained fame by locating the hull of the nuclear submarine (SS(N)) USS 

 THRESHER, and again by locating the hull of the SS(N) USS SCORPION. A key compo- 

 nent in her success is her integrated system of instruments, which enables the ship to place 

 an acoustic marker on the ocean floor and then make a complete exploration of the sur- 

 rounding area. The system permits making photographs of the selected area simultaneously 

 with other measurements, such as magnetic strength and acoustic echoes, so that results can 

 be correlated with the photographic record. 



During 1965, a center well, 23 feet long by 10 feet wide, was added to the ship for the 

 purpose of lowering equipment and material into the sea without having to hoist them over 

 the side. 



Late in 1965, MIZAR again gained fame for her participation in the search for a nucle- 

 ar bomb lost off the coast of Spain. She was able to direct recovery of the bomb by pro- 

 viding navigational guidance for ALVIN, and pinpointing the bomb's location once it had 

 been sighted. 



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