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Rising Star (ship, 1991)
United States Air Force tugboat From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Rising Star (USAF TG-71-9001) is a tugboat operated by the United States Air Force to assist cargo vessels supplying Pituffik Space Base (formerly Thule Air Base), in northern Greenland.[1][2]
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The tugboat is only operated during the period of three months or less that the port is ice-free. For the remainder of the year the vessel is pulled up on the beach. Rising Star is the Air Force's only tugboat.[1]
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Construction and characteristics
Built in 1991 at the Swiftships yard in Morgan City, Louisiana, Rising Star is 71 feet (22 m) long and powered by two two-stroke diesel engines, capable of generating 900 shaft horsepower (670 kW) each.[1]
History
Rising Star is the only tugboat in the U.S. Air Force. The ship entered United States Air Force service at Pituffik Space Base, formerly Thule Air Base, in 1992.[3]
In the summertime, the 71-foot tugboat escorts fuel tankers and cargo ships, aligns them with the pier, and moves icebergs out of the way as vessels enter North Star Bay.[3]
In preparation for port season, as the winter ice clears, Rising Star normally launches at the beginning of July.[1] In winter, Rising Star is hauled onto shore.[3]
Rising Star is also used for sightseeing tours of the surrounding bays and fjords during the summer.[3]
Rising Star is involved in annual resupply efforts known as Operation Pacer Goose.[4][1]
In 2020, Rising Star took part in a rescue operation to save a sinking ship and its crew of six, 50 kilometers south of base, towing the distressed ship back to the port at Pituffik.[5]
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Gallery
Pushing the Maersk Peary.
Bridge and wheelhouse.
Beached at Pituffik.
See also
References
External links
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