Contents

Megan (ship)

SpaceX Dragon Recovery Vessel

Megan, one of SpaceX’s two recovery ships, is pictured in the Atlantic Ocean off the Florida coast while awaiting the splashdown of the company’s Crew Dragon spacecraft.
History
United States
Name	Megan (2022–present) GO Searcher (2019–2022) CGT Searcher (2017–2019) HARVEY Otter (2014–2017) CALLAIS Searcher (2013–2014)
Namesake	Megan McArthur
Owner	Falcon Landing LLC (2022–present) Guice Offshore (2013–2022)
Operator	SpaceX (2016–present) Guice Offshore (2013–2016)
Builder	Master Boat Builders, Coden, Alabama
Launched	2009
Completed	2010
In service	2010
Identification	Call sign: WDH3015 IMO number: 9591648 MMSI number: 366584000
Status	In service
Notes	[1]
General characteristics
Class and type	Platform supply vessel
Tonnage	497 GT 576 DWT
Length	51.0 m (167 ft 4 in)
Beam	12.0 m (39 ft 4 in)
Draught	3 m (9 ft 10 in)
Depth	3.6576 m (12 ft 0 in)
Decks	1
Installed power	1,750 HP
Propulsion	2 x CAT 3508B Industrial Diesel Engines
Speed	22 knots (41 km/h; 25 mph)
Capacity	32
Crew	6
Notes	[1]

Megan, formerly called GO Searcher is a SpaceX Dragon recovery vessel.^[2] It is one of the offshore supply ships operated by Guice Offshore.^[3] The other identical ship is Shannon.^[4]

History[edit]

Megan is the primary recovery vessel for the SpaceX Dragon/SpaceX Dragon 2 after the splashdown. Immediately after splashdown, fast small boats are launched to connect the capsule to the vessel, and the capsule is lifted on board with the large lifting frame installed on the stern. The astronauts can then exit the capsule. NASA has a requirement that this is completed within 60 minutes of splashdown. Facilities onboard include a helipad, a medical treatment unit, and extensive radar communication equipment.^[2][5]

Between April and May 2019, GO Searcher was temporarily reassigned with GO Navigator to fairing recovery operations for the ArabSat-6A, and Starlink 0.9 missions.

On September 18, 2021, GO Searcher served as the recovery vessel for a crewed mission for the first time, supporting the Inspiration4 mission, recovering its all-civilian crew from the Atlantic Ocean.^[6]

In early 2022, the vessel was renamed Megan after Crew-2 astronaut, Megan McArthur while its sister ship GO Navigator was renamed Shannon after Crew-1 astronaut, Shannon Walker.

They are registered to Falcon Landing LLC, a SpaceX-linked company that also owns recovery ships Bob and Doug and Elon Musk's private jet.

List of recovery missions[edit]

Incidents[edit]

• According to United States Coast Guard, on May 9, 2020, while practicing recovering the SpaceX Dragon 2 capsule, GO Searcher's crew pulled a man from the Atlantic Ocean.^[7][8]

Gallery[edit]

SpaceX’s Crew Dragon Demo-1 spacecraft aboard the company's recovery vessel, GO Searcher, following splashdown at 8:45 a.m. EST on March 8, 2019.

On August 13, 2019, NASA astronauts Doug Hurley, left, and Bob BehnkenonGO Searcher, rehearsing Crew Dragon crew extraction with teams from NASA and SpaceX.

SpaceX Dragon recovery vessel, Megan, at West Basin in Port Canaveral, Florida USA on February 25, 2023.

References[edit]