She was launched on August 21, 1968 at the Defoe Shipbuilding Company in Bay City, Michigan, Knorr was delivered to Woods Hole on April 15, 1970.

Knorr and its long-corer will allow scientists to sample deep, ancient sediments that are rich with historical information about the ocean and climate.

In 1985, operated by the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, she was the ship that discovered the wreck of the RMS Titanic, using side scan sonar.

[8] Robert Ballard approached the Navy about using his new deep sea underwater robot craft, the Argo, to search for the Titanic.

[12][13] Knorr was transferred to the Mexican Navy in 2016, and was replaced by a new $74 million research vessel, the RV Neil Armstrong.

[11][14] Ownership: Title held by U.S. Navy; Operated under charter agreement with Office of Naval Research Other Features: Two instrument hangars, fully equipped machine shop, dynamic-positioning system, four transducer wells, one rigid-hull inflatable rescue/work boat.