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The Gulf Stream Drift Mission’s primary objective was to drift the maximum distance along the core of the Gulf Stream at varying depths safely for 30 days. In addition to the oceanographic studies conducted on board, NASA was interested in the submersible as an analogue for a space station. NASA engineer, Chet May, accompanied the mission to observe and evaluate the crew at work, monitor the environment within the submersible and to relate the experience to the development of future NASA space stations.
Ben Franklin was uniquely designed for this mission. Most submarines are not made to float freely at specific depths but must move forward to maintain its depth. Ben Franklin’s complex variable ballast system enabled the crew to maintain the submersible’s position at specific depths as they drifted in the Gulf Stream. In addition to the variable ballast system, the submersible had four motors, which could be moved independently of each other and could be tilted around an axis of 130. This provided great maneuverability.
Ben Franklin was designed for something that had never taken place before n a drift voyage underwater. The special characteristics of the submersible enabled the scientists on board to conduct acoustic (sound) measurements in a way that had never been done before. In addition to the acoustic studies, the scientists continuously measured the Gulf Stream’s velocity, salinity, temperature, turbidity, the sea floor geology and gravitational and magnetic anomalies. Over four million oceanographic measurements were made during the 30 day voyage. |
