NRC Quest is the SpaceX Pacific Ocean support ship. Operating out of the Port of Los Angeles, NRC Quest regularly recovered Cargo Dragon One upon the conclusion of resupply missions to the International Space Station.
In the past, the vessel also supported Pacific Ocean droneship landings on Just Read the Instructions. NRC Quest supported 8 landing attempts, of which 7 were successful. By August 2019, SpaceX had decided to move Just Read the Instructions to Florida.
Vital Statistics
Operator: NRC
Year Built: 2002
IMO: 9271195
Length: 52m
Width: 11m
Joined SpaceX Fleet: 2015
Upon the conclusion of the first CRS contract – CRS-20 – Dragon will move to splashdown in the Atlantic Ocean to be recovered by other ships. NRC Quest was then reassigned as the West Coast fairing recovery ship, recovering fairing halves from the water after splashdown.
The vessel has also hauled fairings for GO Ms. Tree to use during offshore helicopter drop tests.