Rising Star (ship, 1991)
.jpg) USAF's only tugboat dry‑docked.
| |
| History | |
|---|---|
 United States | |
| Name | Rising Star |
| Operator | United States Air Force |
| Builder | Swiftships yard, Morgan City, Louisiana[1] |
| In service | 1991[1] |
| Homeport | Pituffik, Greenland |
| General characteristics | |
| Type | Tugboat |
| Length | 71 feet (22 m)[1] |
| Installed power | 900 shaft horsepower (670 kW)[1] |
| Propulsion | 2 two-stroke diesel engines[1] |
.jpg)
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]
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]
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]
Gallery
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Pushing the Maersk Peary. -
Bridge and wheelhouse. -
Beached at Pituffik.
See also
References
This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the United States government.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j Brady, Steve (2013-09-30). "Thule tugboat plies frigid Arctic waters". Peterson Air Force Base. United States Air Force. Archived from the original on 2014-02-26. Retrieved 2014-02-26.
But Thule can claim the only Air Force tugboat.
- ^ Dale, Daniel (2013-08-22). "Thule stocks up for long winter's night". Colorado Springs Military Newspaper Group. Archived from the original on 2014-02-26.
- ^ a b c d Roza, david. (2023-10-20). "Why the Air Force's Only Tugboat Lives on a Space Force Base". Air & Space Forces Magazine. Archived from the original on 2023-10-27.
- ^ "Operation Pacer Goose". Peterson Air Force Base. Thule Air Base: United States Air Force. Archived from the original on 2025-05-18. Retrieved 2014-02-26.
The Rising Star helped position cargo ships into and out of Thule's port during Operation Pacer Goose, Thule's annual resupply mission.
- ^ Swartzell, Griffin (2020-08-05). "Thule Air Base coordinates ship rescue, saves 6". United States Space Force. Archived from the original on 2020-08-13.
External links
Media related to Rising Star (ship, 1991) at Wikimedia Commons