Comets and Dogie Diver in the crate

At 0316 UTC (coordinated Universal Time) on April 25th, 2021, the ninth float of the newly NSF funded GO-BGC Array program was launched over the side after CTD Station #18. Huge thanks to the support of the US-GOSHIP program and the researchers onboard the A22 Expedition.

Comets (WMO #5906437) was named by the Starside Elementary School in DerSoto, Kansas. The reasoning for the name:

“This is the mascot for our elementary school and I hope researchers “shoot for the stars” while exploring the deep and “dark” depths of the ocean.“

Stephen Jalickee was the shipboard technician in charge of this launch and the float was decorated by Caitlyn Webster and Jesse Anderson.