Page 9: of Maritime Reporter Magazine (August 15, 1985)

The Cummins-powered 200-foot rocket recovery vessel Independence slices through Gulf

Coast waters on a recent early morning sea trial. Built by Halter Marine for Lockheed Space and Exploration Company, she will be operated by Morton Thiokol for the U.S. Air Force 65-95 space shuttle group at Vandenberg AFB in California.

Halter Delivers Rocket Booster

Recovery Vessel 'Independence'

The solid rocket booster recovery vessel Independence, built by Halt- er Marine, Inc. of Moss Point, Miss., was delivered recently to the Lock- heed Space and Operations Compa- ny, for whom the vessel was built under a contract from Lockheed

Shipbuilding. The 200-foot Inde- pendence will perform the key role in the recovery of rocket boosters launched from Vandenberg Air

Force Base in California (scheduled for early 1986) as part of the space shuttle program.

Two Cummins KTA50-M diesels, each rated at 1,250 bhp at 1,850 rpm, provide propulsion power for the twin-screw vessel, while two oth- ers, Cummins KTA19-M diesels, power bow and stern thrusters.

The Independence is fully equip- ped to handle all necessary diving evolutions, with complete diving equipment, air refilling systems, and a hyperbaric chamber of de- compression. The bow and stern thrusters will be used for propulsion for safety when divers are in the water. A complete electronics sys- tem has been installed for naviga- tion, communications, and for locat- ing and recovering the rocket boost- ers.

The divers will be retrieving par- tially submerged rocket boosters for re-use on later missions. The boost- ers separate after the shuttle has reached a certain altitude and float back to earth via parachutes. Divers will quickly connect special air

Independence

Suppliers' List

Main engines (2) . Cummins

Reduction gears (2) ... . . Niigata

Propellers (2) . . . Lips

Engine controls . . Wabco

Shafts . . Halter

Shaft brakes . Mathers

Keel coolers Fernstrum

Bow & stern thrusters . Elliot White Gill

Generators . . .KATO

Generator engines .... .Cummins

Firefighting system .... . . Goulds

Emergency generator . . .Cummins

Towing winch & anchor windlass . HBL

Satnav & Loran systems . . Magnavox

Position plotter . . . Decca

Radars (2) .Krupp Atlas

Echo depth sounder . . . . . . Simrad

Auto direction finder . . . . . . Simrad

Weather facsimile recorder . . . Alden

Speed log system .... . . . Junger

Satcom system . Magnavox

HF/SSB radio . . . . King

VHF radio Texas Instruments

Aircraft UHF transceiver . . Magnavox

General-purpose receiver . . . Harris

Aircraft VHF radio .... . . . Narco

CB radio General Electric

Hand-held VHF radio . . . . . . Repco

Lifeboat radio .ITT Mackay hoses to the boosters and, using two powerful air compressors on board the vessel, purge the boosters of any water and refloat them.

At the launching of the Indepen- dence, Maj. Gen. Donald W. Hen- derson, officer in charge of the Air

Force space shuttle program, stated, "Retrieving the boosters will save $45 million per mission." General

Henderson noted that a new set of solid rocket boosters costs $67 mil-

Australia Plans To Build

Diesel-Electric Submarines

Of European Design

The Australian government has asked two European companies—

Ingenieurkontor Lubeck/Ho- waldtswerke-Deutsche Werft (IKL-

HDW) of West Germany and Kock- ums AB of Sweden—to submit de- tailed proposals for the design and construction, in Australia, of new submarines for the Royal Australian

Navy. The two companies were se- lected from an original list of seven prominent international submarine designers and builders.

Plans call for the construction of lion, while retrieval and refurbish- ing only costs $22 million. "The

Independence may well pay back its costs in the first few missions," he added.

General Henderson also praised the Lockheed/Halter team responsi- ble for the Independence, in partic- ular the shipyard at Halter Marine's

Moss Point yard for building the vessel on schedule and within bud- get. from five to eight boats, with the most likely number being six. Total cost of six subs at current prices is about $1.8 billion (US). Plans call for the first vessel to be launched in 1992.

The two European companies have been invited to develop design proposals that would involve Aus- tralian industry in the program.

They have also been asked to pro- vide data on construction sites in

Australia, and to identify logistic support and maintenance require- ments.

It is expected that IKL-HDW will offer the IKL 2000 design, and

Kockums will submit its type 471 boat.

The "Little" Giant!

Arnessen Offers Full-Color Brochure On

Atlas-Danmark Freshwater Generators

The Arnessen Corporation of

New Jersey, U.S. representatives of

Atlas-Danmark Marine & Offshore, a division of Atlas-Danmark A/S, is offering a free, full-color, 12-page brochure on Atlas-Danmark fresh- water generators for marine and off- shore installations.

The brochure contains charts, "working principle" diagrams, graphs and several full-color photo- graphs. The publication is filled with clear, concise text explaining the capacities and applications of several types of Atlas-Danmark freshwater generators.

According to the brochure, 15,000

Atlas-Danmark freshwater genera- tors are in service worldwide. The brochure also claims that Atlas-

Danmark is "not only the inventor, but also the largest manufacturer of freshwater generators utilizing the waste heat for converting sea water into fresh water." It is said that seven out of 10 new buildings throughout the world have an Atlas-

Danmark freshwater generator in- stalled. Atlas-Danmark freshwater generators are approved by all clas- sification societies and maritime au- thorities.

For a free copy of this detail-filled brochure on Atlas-Danmark fresh- water generators,

Circle 57 on Reader Service Card

A 100 Ton Capacity Mobile Boat Hoist From Marine Travelift

The Marine Travelift 100BFM is the instrumentation • Orbital steering with newest addition to our complete line of automatic steering realignment • mobile boat hoists. Marinas and Stainless steel hydraulic tubing • boatyards around the world can take Accurate load weight indicator • New advantage of the "little" giant's radial tubeless tires • Mechanical anti- versatility and be able to handle two-block system • Fully enclosed, commercial fishing boats, work boats easy access engine and hydraulic and pleasure crafts. The wide range of compartment • Better boat handling service means more customers and with forward sling adjustment aft of improved yard utilization. the front beam.

With the 100BFM you receive outstanding STANDARD design features: • "Beam forward" design for more rigging and foredeck structure clearance • All slings power adjustable • High Strength, low alloy main frame construction • Fast, two speed hoisting and travel • Low enclosed operator's cab • Full

For more information and complete specifications on the 100BFM or our complete line of mobile hoists from 10 to 250 ton capacities, contact your local representative or Marine

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Model 100BFM at Anderson Boatyard. Sausalito, CA.

August 15, 1985 11

Circle 304 on Reader Service Card