NOAAS Ronald H. Brown

he Brown is named for former Secretary of Commerce Ron Brown, who was killed in a plane crash while in office. At 274 feet (84 m) in length, she is the largest vessel in the NOAA fleet. The hull of the ship is hardened against ice to allow for Arctic and Antarctic research. The ship has a total of 59 bunk spaces and can seat 30 at a time in her mess room. The ship also includes a 4-bed hospital facility. She carries a complement of six NOAA Corps officers, including one medical officer, 20 crew and a maximum of 32 scientists.