Sunday, June 29, 2014

Nos Aries

Nos Aries offshore support vessel, IMO 9693616, port of Livorno
“Nos Aries” is an offshore support vessel built in 2014 by Yuexin Ship Industry in Guangzhou, China. The boat is a new entry in the fleet of the Neri Group, that won a contract with the European Space Agency and Thales Alenia Space for the recovery of the IXV reentry vehicles.
Nos Aries offshore support vessel, IMO 9693616, port of Livorno
Last Monday, in a practice run, a prototype of the vehicle was recovered off our coast by the “Nos Aries” and we can see it in this grainy photo.
Nos Aries offshore support vessel, IMO 9693616, port of Livorno
The launch of the first real spacecraft is planned for the next November. In mid-summer the “Nos Aries” will cross the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic to reach the Pacific through the Panama Canal.

External links: Neri Group (Official site) - Intermediate eXperimental Vehicle - European Space Agency - Thales Alenia Space (Wikipedia)
- Bringing back our spaceplane (European Space Agency)

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12 comments:

  1. RevrunnerJune 29, 2014 at 12:21 AM

    So . . . if they're planning to pick this thing up in the Pacific Ocean, why were they practicing picking it up off the coast of Italy? Or were they just looking for an excuse to soak up some of that Mediterranean sun?
    :-)

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  2. VPJune 29, 2014 at 1:04 AM

    Revrunner - All the interested parts are European and the simulation was only a simple way to see if everything could go smoothly in picking up the thing from some salty water.

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  3. Taken For GrantedJune 29, 2014 at 1:55 AM

    Most interesting ship working in the high tech world of space travel and recovery. Wow. How up to date is that!

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  4. RandyJune 29, 2014 at 4:46 AM

    It does look like a vessel that means business.

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  5. Lucy Corrander : PhotosJune 29, 2014 at 8:49 AM

    When the picture came up, my first thought was how clever you are - always are - with the composition. But the text reveals so much one could never even guess at from the sight of an apparently old boat and a launch. Leads us into exciting realms!

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  6. KarlJune 29, 2014 at 10:41 AM

    Like the little boat on the first pic, what a contrast!

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  7. cieldequimperJune 29, 2014 at 11:59 AM

    I wish them well, they have quite a mission!

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  8. Luis GomezJune 29, 2014 at 1:51 PM

    Thank you VP. Great pictures! Good thing you were there.

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  9. BirdmanJune 29, 2014 at 2:43 PM

    Hey!
    Good thing tires on cars and trucks go bad.
    Recycle!
    hahahahahaha

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  10. Stefan JanssonJune 30, 2014 at 1:12 AM

    A quality photo and nice reporting.

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  11. DinaJune 30, 2014 at 9:48 AM

    How exciting!
    Did you read about this and go looking for it? It would have been incredible good luck just to BE there at the right moment.

    What a big journey and mission this ship has ahead of it.

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  12. UnknownJuly 1, 2014 at 2:04 PM

    I would gladly go on that journey.

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