Node Installations Complete!

Sunday, August 19, 2012
Launch of PN3B
Plan for OOI RSN Primary Node Installation

Plan for OOI RSN Primary Node Installation. Node drawings courtesy of L-3 MariPro.

Primary Node 3B has been deployed, and OOI RSN primary node installation operations are complete.

At 0705h PDT on Saturday, 18 August, Primary Node 3B--the final of seven nodes for the OOI RSN project--was deployed from the aft deck of TE SubCom Dependable. PN3B landed on the seafloor at 0858h PDT. Touchdown was at a depth of 1520 meters and landing was approximately 26 meters west of the target position. PN3B was then powered from the shore station for testing. After the successful testing, another major milestone had been achieved: the successful deployment of the third and final primary node on the northern line of the OOI RSN cabled infrastructure to Axial Seamount. With deployment of PN3B completed, the installation team is currently in transit to Portland, OR, for offloading of the spare primary cable and equipment and for de-mobilization activities.

-- Brian Ittig, OOI RSN Marine Operations Manager, University of Washington, onboard the TE SubCom Dependable