There’s a new star coming this fall to the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy’s Village of Kings Point campus.
U.S. Transportation Department Secretary Ray LaHood announced on Tuesday an agreement between NASA and the Merchant Marine Academy to replace the institution’s previous training vessel the “Kings Pointer” with a former space shuttle solid rocket booster recovery ship called the “MV Liberty Star.”
“Securing this modern vessel supports the goals outlined in the academy’s new strategic plan and will ensure our midshipmen get the top-notch education and training they need to compete and win in a competitive global marketplace,” LaHood said.
The Merchant Marine Academy’s previous training vessel the “Kings Pointer,” an auxiliary ocean tug, was transferred to Texas A&M University’s Galveston campus in December. The “Kings Pointer” was used by midshipmen for hands-on training at sea.
The “MV Liberty Star” was one of NASA’s two vessels, which were used to recover its space shuttle’s solid rocket boosters after they were released into the ocean following lift off, a U.S. Department of Transportation news release said.
With its two combined 2,900-horsepower diesel engines, the 176-foot long “MV Liberty Star” has a range of 6,000 miles and a maximum speed of 15 knots, the news release said.
Midshipmen will be able to use the Merchant Marine Academy’s new vessels’ modern navigational technology to train in the areas of dynamic positioning and advanced towing techniques, the release said.
“The acquisition of this state-of-the-art training vessel will help us provide the best education and hands-on experience for our future maritime leaders,” U.S. Merchant Marine Academy Superintendent Rear Admiral James A. Helis said. “There is nothing like real life experience to facilitate the learning process.”
The replacement of the Merchant Marine Academy’s training vessel is a part of the university’s five-year strategic plan, which LaHood announced to the midshipmen in March.
After a 2010 federal report outlined the need for $300 million in repairs to the Merchant Marine Academy’s facilities, LaHood said that much of the university’s aging infrastructure would soon be replaced.
LaHood said in March that renovations to the Merchant Marine Academy’s mess hall, pier and electrical grid will be made through $54 million in “capital improvement” funds appropriated by Congress from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s budget.
Since 2009, Congress has appropriated more than $300 million for the Merchant Marine Academy, the news release said.
That $300 million in appropriations includes $239 million for operation expenses and $61 million for capital improvements, the news release said.
Last year, the Merchant Marine Academy received $23 million for capital improvements, which the news release said was the most ever secured by the Kings Point service academy.
“This past April when we toured the Academy, I asked for three things and today we are batting 3 for 3,” U.S. Senator Charles Schumer (D-NY) said. “We have a new superintendent in place, we were able to increase capital funding in the senate appropriations bill and now we have a new training vessel on its way.”
The “MV Liberty Star” will be relocated from Cape Canaveral, Fla. to its new home in Kings Point this fall, the news release said.
In addition to receiving its new ship, LaHood said the Merchant Marine Academy will then begin work to update its shipyard and convert the “MV Liberty Star” into a training vessel.
“We are righting this ship not only for the midshipmen currently attending, but for the generations of students who will come,” Schumer said of the Merchant Marine Academy’s training updates. “The Merchant Marine Academy is getting back on course and I commend Secretary LaHood for his hard work, hearing our call and delivering promptly.”
During its service at the Merchant Marine Academy, the “MV Liberty Star” will remain on call for “occasional” NASA missions, which will include training for midshipmen, the news release said.
The “MV Liberty Star” is equipped with “controllable pitch propellers, auxiliary water jet thruster” and a “joy stick dynamic position system,” along with a 7,500-pound deck crane and a “fast rescue boat,” the news release said.
“This agreement is a win-win for both Kings Point and NASA,” Maritime Administrator David Matsuda said. “The ship’s high tech equipment and real world capabilities closely mirror what graduates will see entering the maritime workforce.”
Reach reporter John Santa by e-mail at jsanta@theislandnow.com or by phone at 516.307.1045 x203. Also follow us on Twitter @theislandnow1 and Facebook at facebook.com/theislandnow.
