Aurora Australis (icebreaker)
.jpg) Aurora Australis docked at Hobart in 2010 |
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| Career (Australia) |  |
|---|---|
| Name: | Aurora Australis |
| Namesake: | The Aurora Australis |
| Owner: | P&O Polar |
| Operator: | P&O Polar |
| Builder: | Carrington Slipways, Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia |
| Launched: | 18 September 1989[citation needed] |
| In service: | 30 March 1990[citation needed] |
| Homeport: | Hobart |
| Identification: | IMO number: 8717283 |
| Status: | Active as of 2011 |
| General characteristics | |
| Type: | Antarctic research and resupply vessel |
| Tonnage: | 3,911 tonnes |
| Length: | 94.91 m (311.4 ft) |
| Beam: | 20.3 m (67 ft) |
| Draught: | 7.862 m (25.79 ft) |
| Installed power: | 2 x Wärtsilä diesels (V16 5,500 kW; V12 4,500 kW) |
| Propulsion: | single left-hand-turning controllable pitch propeller, 3 manoeuvering thrusters |
| Speed: | 16.8 knots (31.1 km/h; 19.3 mph) max. 13 knots (24 km/h; 15 mph) cruising speed |
| Capacity: | 1,700 m3 (60,000 cu ft) cargo capacity 1 ML (35×103 cu ft) supply fuel tank capacity 116 passengers |
| Crew: | 24 |
| Aircraft carried: | Up to four helicopters |
| Aviation facilities: | Hangar |
Aurora Australis is an Australian icebreaker. Built by Carrington Slipways and launched in 1989, the vessel is owned by P&O Polar, but is regularly chartered by the Australian Antarctic Division (AAD) for research cruises in Antarctic waters and to support Australian bases in Antarctica.
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[edit] Design and construction
Designed as a multi-purpose research and resupply ship, Aurora Australis was built by Carrington Slipways in Newcastle, New South Wales.[1] The vessel was launched in September 1989.[1] She weighs 3,911 tonnes, is 94.91 metres (311.4 ft) long, has a beam of 20.3 metres (67 ft), and a draught of 7.862 metres (25.79 ft).[1] Propulsion machinery consists of two Wärtsilä diesel engines: a V16 of 5,500 kilowatt output and a V12 of 4,500 kilowatt output.[2] These drive a single, left-hand-turning controllable pitch propeller.[2] Slow speed manoeuvring is achieved with three manoeuvering thrusters, one forward and two aft.[2] Aurora Australis has a maximum speed of 16.8 knots (31.1 km/h; 19.3 mph),[citation needed] and a cruising speed of 13 knots (24 km/h; 15 mph).[1] The vessel can break ice up to 1.23 metres (4 ft 0 in) thick.[1]
The ship's crew is 24-strong.[citation needed] Up to 116 passengers can be carried, accommodated in three- or four-bunk cabins with attached bathrooms.[1][3] Aurora Australis has a cargo capacity of 1,700 cubic metres (60,000 cu ft) for break bulk or containerised cargo, and a supply tank that can hold 1 megalitre (35×103 cu ft) of fuel.[citation needed]. The ship is fitted with laboratories for biological, meterological, and oceanographic research, and was designed with a trawl deck for the deployment and recovery of research instruments while at sea.[1] The ship's hangar and helideck allow for the operation of up to three helicopters,[1] usually Eurocopter Squirrels or Sikorsky S-76s.[citation needed]
[edit] Operations
Aurora Australis is chartered by the AAD over the southern summer for research purposes, and to support the Antarctic bases operated by the AAD.[3] The vessel spends most winters in port in Hobart, Tasmania, as the AAD headquarters is in the nearby town of Kingston.[citation needed] P&O sometimes charter the ship for other work during winter.[citation needed]
On 8 May 2011, Aurora Australis was chartered by the Department of Defence for a two-month deployment (ending 30 June) as an amphibious transport ship supporting the Royal Australian Navy.[3] The charter, costing A$3.375 million, is to assist in the Australian government response to humanitarian crises and natural disasters, in the event that any occur while the naval heavy lift ship HMAS Tobruk undergoes maintenance.[3]
[edit] References
- ^ a b c d e f g h "Aurora Australis". Australian Antarctic Division. 18 April 2011. http://www.antarctica.gov.au/living-and-working/travel-and-logistics/ships/aurora-australis. Retrieved 13 May 2011.
- ^ a b c Barlow, Karen (25 January 2011). "Revhead heaven in icebreaker's engine room". ABC News Online. http://blogs.abc.net.au/news/2011/01/revhead-heaven-in-icebreakers-engine-room.html. Retrieved 13 May 2011.
- ^ a b c d "Amphibious Ship Update" (Press release). The Hon. Jason Clare MP Minister for Defence Materiel. 11 May 2011. http://www.minister.defence.gov.au/Claretpl.cfm?CurrentId=11792. Retrieved 13 May 2011.
[edit] External links
Media related to Aurora Australis (ship, 1990) at Wikimedia Commons- Webcam aboard Aurora Australis
- Breaking the Ice - blog from Aurora Australis by Australian Broadcasting Corporation reporter Karen Barlow, during the January-February 2011 scientific trip to Mertz Glacier
Media related to 
