What happened to the Glomar Explorer ship?
The owners of a ship used to execute one of the most world’s most complicated and expensive pieces of espionage have sold it for scrap. GSF Explorer — previously dubbed the Hughes Glomar Explorer — was sold to an unknown buyer by Swiss drilling concern Transocean for scrap, according to a Thursday report in Reuters.
What did the Glomar Explorer recover?
We do know, however, that the Glomar Explorer retrieved the bodies of several of the K-129’s crewmembers, whom they gave a military burial at sea, which the C.I.A. filmed and gave to Russia almost 20 years later.
How much did the Glomar Explorer cost?
$350-million
The vessel’s history is steeped in international intrigue. The $350-million drillship – an engineering marvel that was far ahead of its time – was built for Global Marine, a company owned by Howard Hughes, the eccentric American businessman.
Where is K-129 today?
Soviet submarine K-129 (1960)
| History | |
|---|---|
| Soviet Union | |
| Completed | 1959 |
| Fate | Sank on 8 March 1968 approximately 1,560 nautical miles (2,890 km) northwest of Oahu in the Pacific Ocean with all 98 hands. |
| Status | Partially recovered in covert salvage operation by the American CIA in 1974. |
What happened to the Glomar Challenger?
Scrapping. After being operated for fifteen years, Glomar Challenger’s active duty was ended during November 1983 and she was later scrapped. Her successor, JOIDES Resolution, was launched during 1985. The ship was a success in collecting rock samples and helped to confirm the Messinian Salinity Crisis theory.
What did the Glomar Challenger find?
It investigated some 624 sites in the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian oceans, not only revealing the presence of deep ocean salt domes (which themselves may indicate the presence of oil) but also supporting the theory of plate tectonics by providing evidence of continental drift and seafloor renewal.
What did the crew of the Glomar Challenger discover?
What does Glomar stand for?
“Glomar” is the syllabic abbreviation of Global Marine, the company commissioned by the CIA to build the Glomar Explorer.