Posted on 05/12/2002 9:05:33 AM PDT by jalisco555
Part of the roof of Russia's space launch complex in Kazakhstan - Baikonur - has collapsed, injuring at least eight people.
Three out of five segments of the 70-metre high roof of the block, used for assembling and testing space vehicles including the Buran shuttle, gave way at around 0720 GMT.
The injured had been working to repair the roof at the time, but fell through and were trapped under the debris.
There were unconfirmed reports that some of the trapped workers had been killed.
Rescue workers are being sent to the site from Moscow to help recover victims - local rescuers are said to be reluctant to enter the block because its walls are unstable.
The Russian Aviation and Space Agency has set up a special centre to investigate the causes of the incident.
The BBC's Nikolay Gorshkov says Moscow has been short of funds to maintain the complex, and parts of it have fallen into disrepair.
World's oldest
The Baikonur cosmodrome, Russia's main commercial launch site, was built in the 1950s and is the oldest working launch site in the world.
The first manmade satellite to orbit the Earth was launched from here.
The Buran project was initiated in 1976 in response to the US space shuttle programme but abandoned after the collapse of the USSR. It completed one unmanned flight in 1988.
More recently, Baikonur has been used to launch commercial satellites and rockets bound for the International Space Station.
Kazakhstan took possession of the cosmodrome after the disintegration of the USSR. But it lacked the funds and expertise to maintain the site, which was looted by local people who sold sophisticated equipment for scrap metal, our correspondent says.
Russia has been leased Baikonur from Kazakhstan since 1993, though the two former Soviet countries have on several occasions been at odds over rent payments and accidents during launches.
This is a sad story for many reasons.
It is a metaphor for the entire Soviet technological infrastructure, a true Potemkin Village.
I think you mean "Vehicle"... and it's fine.
If I recall right, the "V" in VAB used to stand for "Verticle"... as in "we are stacking the Apollo moon rocket in a 'verticle' fashion."
Since Shuttle is not stacked in a "verticle" fashion, the acronym because "Vehicle" assembly building.
Really now... shouldn't we getting AWAY FROM any vehicle assembly prior to any launch... and instead be moving towards a launch vehicle which is horizontal take-off and landing? We need to stop the monopolization on US launches by the state of Florida. With all due respect to Gov. Jeb Bush, there are other states that can serve to launch rockets... like Texas, California, New Mexico, and Hawaii.
NASA needs to learn from the Russkies... the roof on the national space program is going to cave unless we redefine our R&D strategies.
Now for a little education:
The Annual Report for 2001 of NASA's Aerospace Safety Advisory Panel contained this finding: "Much of the Space Shuttle ground infrastructure has deteriorated and will not be capable of supporting the Space Shuttle for its realistic service life."
The FY02 VA/HUD Conference Report added $25 million for the repair and replacement of the VAB doors. The money has not been obligated yet!
NASA has further identified needed replacement of;
1. The corroded metal fastners of the building's aluminum siding, and,
2. The concrete roof of the building which currently necessitates a net to keep falling chunks of concrete off the Shuttle stack.(is that your definition of "fine?")
These repairs could add up to over $100 million at the VAB and over $200 million total at The Cape.
Next time you'd like to take me on, do your homework.
LOL
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