China's largest-ever oceanographic research and training vessel, named after Sun Yat-sen University, was launched into water in Shanghai on Friday. The vessel departed from the Jiangnan Shipyard Group under the China State Shipbuilding Corporation Limited. Luo Jun, president of Sun Yat-sen University, announced the name at the commissioning ceremony. With a length of 114.3 meters and a width of 19.4 meters, the vessel boasts global navigation capability. It has a maximum trial speed of 16 knots and an economical cruising range of 15,000 nautical miles, which can facilitate 60-day expeditions and carry 100 crew members. Chief designer Wu Gang said the research and training vessel had the largest displacement, strongest comprehensive scientific capacity and most innovative design in China. In addition, its advanced research equipment enables scientists to process, test and analyze samples and data onboard. The construction project of the vessel began on Oct. 28, 2019. The vessel will undergo debugging and be delivered to the university in the first half of 2021. Since the 1920s, Guangzhou-based Sun Yat-sen University has conducted marine scientific research in the South China Sea. In 1928, China's first scientific research examining the Xisha Islands was completed by researchers from the university.
