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Life

High-tech research ship ready to seek new life at hydrothermal vents

The Falkor (too), a 100-metre, state-of-the-art research vessel, is scheduled to set sail on 3 March to look for hydrothermal vents and undiscovered organisms, potentially shedding light on how life may have arisen on other planets

By Ashley Balzer Vigil

1 March 2023

The research vessel Falkor (too)

The research vessel Falkor (too) will head to the mid-Atlantic ridge to seek hydrothermal vents

Alex Ingle/Schmidt Ocean Institute

The most advanced research vessel ever is about to set sail on its inaugural 40-day mission to look for never-before-seen creatures in the deep sea and shed light on how life may have arisen elsewhere in the universe.

The 110-metre-long ship , previously called the Polar Queen and dedicated to offshore industry, has undergone a 17-month refit to deck it out with scientific equipment.

The ship is due to depart from San Juan, Puerto Rico, on 3 March to look…

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