The Hughes Glomar Explorer, renamed GFS Explorer, was initially built for the United States CIA Special Activities Division’s secret operation called Project Azorian with the mission to uncover the sunken Soviet submarine K-129. Little interest in and the high cost of running the vessel resulted in dry docking. It 2015, it was announced that the Explorer would be scrapped.

• Type: Drillship
• Length: 619 ft
• Displacement: 51,310 tons
• Beam: 116 ft
• Launched: November 4, 1972