MV Liberty Star is a formerly NASA-owned and United Space Alliance-operated vessel which primarily served as an SRB recovery ship following the launch of Space Shuttle missions. It also performed tugboat duties and acted as a research platform. In 2012, it was transferred to the U.S. Department of Transportation for use as a training vessel at the United States Merchant Marine Academy as the TV Kings Pointer. Her sister ship is the MV Freedom Star.

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MV Liberty Star

History
United States
Name	MV Liberty Star
Owner	NASA
Operator	United Space Alliance[1]
Builder	Atlantic Marine Shipyard, Fort George Island, Florida, U.S.[1]
Christened	September 27, 1980[2]
Acquired	October 1980[2]
In service	January 1981[3]
Out of service	September 14, 2012
Homeport	Port Canaveral, Florida, U.S.
Identification	Call sign: WRPH IMO number: 7925302 MMSI number: 338990000[4]
Status	Transferred to Maritime Administration
History
United States
Name	TV Kings Pointer
Owner	U.S. Dept of Transportation
Operator	U.S. Maritime Administration
Acquired	September 14, 2012[5]
Homeport	Kings Point, New York, U.S.[5]
Status	In service
General characteristics
Tonnage	484 GT, 743 GRT; 239 NT, 222 NRT[6]
Displacement	1,052 short tons (954 t)[7]
Length	176 ft (53.6 m)[7]
Beam	37 ft (11.3 m)[7]
Height	72 ft (21.9 m)[3]
Draft	12 ft (3.7 m)[7]
Depth	15 ft (4.6 m)[7]
Installed power	2 × 223 hp (166 kW) Kato generators[7]
Propulsion	2 × 1,450 hp (1,080 kW) GM EMD 12-645E6A diesel engines, driving 2 propellers[7] 2 × 450 hp (340 kW) Detroit Diesel 8V71 engines, driving bow and stern thrusters[7]
Speed	15 kn (28 km/h; 17 mph)[7]
Range	6,900 mi (11,100 km)[7]
Endurance	30 days[7]
Capacity	24 maximum[1]
Complement	10 × crew 9 × retrieval specialists 1 × retrieval supervisor
Notes	Towing capacity: 60,000 lb (27,200 kg)[7]

Close

The recovery ships were built at Atlantic Marine Shipyard on Fort George Island, Florida, and delivered in January 1981 to their original owner, United Technologies Corporation. As well as recovering the Space Shuttle, SRB's Liberty Star has since 1998 been used to tow the Space Shuttle external fuel tanks from their assembly plant at Michoud Assembly Facility near New Orleans, Louisiana, to the Vehicle Assembly Building at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. She served a similar role in recovering the first test flight of the Ares I and was anticipated to continue recovering boosters for the Constellation program before it was canceled in 2010.

The Liberty Star underwent special strengthening enhancements to withstand the greater burden of towing the external fuel tanks. 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 (610 m) or more of wire rope on each drum. One drum supports booster retrievals while the other is devoted to external tank towing.

Liberty Star has also occasionally been used to support scientific research operations including research for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and several universities. She is usually docked alongside her sister at the Solid Rocket Booster processing facility at the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.

Each ship is propelled by two main engines providing a total of 2,900 horsepower. The main engines turn two seven-foot (2.1-meter) propellers with controllable pitch, which provides greater response time and maneuverability. The ships also are equipped with two thrusters. The stern thruster is a water jet system that allows the ship to move in any direction without the use of propellers. This system was installed to protect the endangered manatee population that inhabits regions of the Banana River where the ships are based. The system also allows divers to work near the ship during operations at a greatly reduced risk.^[8]