The Research Vessel Atlantis ii was built by the Maryland Shipbuilding
and Drydock Company in Baltimore, she was launched on Sept. 8, 1962
and retired from scientific service in 1996.

In 1986, Atlantis II visited the site of the R.M.S. Titanic, and for
more than a decade she was home to the Alvin submarine, the world’s first
deep-sea submersible that would make 12 dives on the Titanic.
In recognition of her contributions to science, NASA named a space
shuttle after her.
090318 Atlantis ll 124.jpg