The ship is designed for shallow inland waterways as well as the open ocean and is capable of carrying up to three 160-foot-long (49 m) Delta IV Common Booster Cores.

[14] Use of Delta Mariner was transferred to ULA after the company was created in 2006 to handle all United States military launch services.

[15][5] Completed rocket stages and other components are transported by truck approximately 1.5 miles (2.4 km) from the Decatur manufacturing facility to the dock on the Tennessee River and driven directly onto the ship.

[2][18][19] On August 7, 2001, Delta Mariner ran aground on a sandbar in the Tennessee River during its initial docking attempt at Decatur.

[28] On February 6, the vessel was freed from the underwater debris and the Coast Guard approved its relocation to a safe harbor one mile downriver so that its bow could be cleared.

[29][30] By February 14, the bridge debris had been cleared and the vessel had relocated to the James Marine drydock in Paducah, Kentucky, to undergo repairs.