▁information ▁on ▁space ▁environments ▁and ▁hyp erson ic ▁flight ▁ ▁Adv ance ▁the ▁general ▁fund ▁of ▁knowledge ▁on ▁re - entry ▁physics ▁and ▁dynamics ▁and ▁the ▁pl asma ▁phen omena ▁association ▁with ▁re - entry . ▁ ▁Develop ▁new ▁data ▁ac quisition ▁and ▁processing ▁techniques ▁for ▁expanded ▁data ▁quality . ▁ ▁US AS ▁American ▁Mar iner ▁▁ ▁The ▁D AMP ▁ship , ▁the ▁US AS ▁American ▁Mar iner , ▁was ▁essentially ▁a ▁floating ▁measurements ▁labor atory ▁that ▁employed ▁various ▁types ▁of ▁sens ors , ▁recording ▁appar atus , ▁and ▁technical ▁support ▁equipment . ▁It ▁operated ▁under ▁conventional ▁mar itime ▁reg ulations ▁in ▁the ▁impact ▁area ▁of ▁ball istic ▁miss ile ▁test ▁fir ings , ▁primarily ▁in ▁the ▁Car ib bean ▁area ▁and ▁in ▁the ▁South ▁Atlantic ▁Ocean , ▁near ▁As c ension ▁Island . ▁During ▁ 1 9 6 2 , ▁however , ▁it ▁operated ▁in ▁the ▁Pacific ▁Ocean ▁in ▁order ▁to ▁perform ▁tracking ▁duties ▁during ▁Operation ▁Domin ic ▁atomic ▁testing . ▁ ▁The ▁ship board ▁crew , ▁provided ▁by ▁Math ias en ▁T ank ers ▁Cor p ., ▁was ▁complement ed ▁by ▁approximately ▁si xty ▁technical ▁personnel ▁provided ▁by ▁R CA ▁and ▁Bar nes ▁Engineering ▁Corporation , ▁who ▁operated ▁and ▁maintained ▁the ▁rad ar ▁and ▁support ▁equipment . ▁Each ▁mission ▁required ▁a ▁minimum ▁of ▁ 3 6 ▁hours ▁of ▁on - station ▁prepar ation ▁and ▁pre - ▁and ▁post - fl ight ▁cal ibration . ▁Target s ▁were ▁those ▁of ▁opportunity ▁fired ▁on ▁miss ile ▁ranges ▁as ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁overall ▁ball