The ship has offered the national and international scientific community a wide range of functions, thanks to its laboratories and scientific equipment which have enabled it to operate in the fields of geophysics, marine geology and biology, and oceanography.

About 73 metres long, with a gross tonnage of 1,400 tonnes, the ship could reach a speed of 11 knots and was classified as 'ice class', thanks to its particular features that made it suitable for navigating and acquiring data even in polar environments. The ship could accommodate 24 researchers and technicians as well as 18 crew members.

During the time at OGS, it carried out eleven research campaigns as part of the National Programme for Research in Antarctica (PNRA), four Arctic campaigns, one of which was under the auspices of the International Polar Year (IPY) in 2008.

In addition to research activities, the ship has been used in services for industry, particularly in the field of site surveys for the laying of offshore infrastructure such as communications cables, submarine pipelines and exploration platforms. It also participated in studies commissioned by foreign nations to determine the extent of Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZ) and the preliminary assessment of mineral resources in Arctic areas.

Thanks to its equipment, the ship was considered an international reference infrastructure for geophysical and oceanographic research and in 2008 it became part of the EUROFLEETS fleet, an alliance of European research institutes of excellence created to facilitate the coordination and efficient use of marine infrastructures and thus promote the advancement of scientific research at sea. In 2013, it was included in the European database MERIL (Mapping of the European Research Infrastructure Landscape), which brings together European research infrastructures open to the international scientific community.