M/V Freedom Star
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|
| Career | |
|---|---|
| Laid down: | |
| Launched: | January 1981 |
| Commissioned: | |
| Decommissioned: | still active |
| Fate: | still active |
| General Characteristics | |
| Displacement: | |
| Length: | 176 feet (54 m) |
| Beam: | |
| Propulsion: | two diesel engines providing 2,900 horsepower |
| Speed: | |
| Towing capacity: | 60,000 pounds (27,000 kg). |
| Complement: | |
| Armament: | n/a |
The M/V Freedom Star, along with its sister ship the Liberty Star is one of the NASA-owned recovery ships tasked with retrieving spent Solid Rocket Boosters (SRBs) following the launch of Space Shuttle missions. Although owned by NASA, the ship is currently operated by Space Flight Operations contractor United Space Alliance. The M/V stands for Motor Vessel.
She was built at Atlantic Marine Shipyard on Fort George Island, Florida, and delivered in January 1981 to her original owner, United Towing. She is 176 feet (54 m) in length, 37 feet (11.3 m) in width and draws about 12 feet (3.7 m) of water. It is propelled by two main engines providing a total of 2,900 horsepower (2.2 MW), and capable of towing 60,000 pounds (27,000 kg). Two auxiliary engines with jacuzzi-like jets (similar to that found in Naval riverine craft) allow the Freedom Star to coast up the Banana River without harming the local manatee population.
Aside from her usual mission of retrieving the Space Shuttle SRBs, the Freedom Star and her sister ship have occasionally been used for other purposes. Starting in 1998, the ship began making use of its downtime between Shuttle launches by towing the Space Shuttle external fuel tanks from their assembly plant at Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans, Louisiana to the Vehicle Assembly Building at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, something that may be done with the components of the planned Ares V rocket after the Shuttle is retired in 2010.
To withstand the towing burden, Freedom Star had to undergo deck-strengthening enhancements. The stern was strengthened at critical points, new bulwark fairings were added, and an H-bitt was installed through which cabling is threaded to keep it centered during towing operations. Also installed was a hydraulic towing winch, referred to as a double-drum waterfall winch, holding 2,000 feet (600 m) or more of wire rope on each drum. One drum supports booster retrievals while the other is devoted to external tank towing.
The ship has also occasionally been used to support scientific research operations. The ship has taken part in research for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration as well as several universities.
She is normally docked alongside her sister ship next to the Solid Rocket Boosters processing facility at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida. satellite image
