Posted on 09/06/2004 11:45:33 AM PDT by dan_s
Hurricane Frances has battered the Kennedy Space Center's 525-ft high Vehicle Assembly Building ripping off over 1000 panels from its exterior, Center Director Jim Kennedy told reporters a short while ago. With another Hurricane possibly on course to hit Florida this weekend, the space agency is worried.
"The VAB is something of concern," Kennedy said."Not only because of the initial damage but because of the potential that Ivan brings to us. Our weather people tell us that Ivan could be at the backdoor of KSC as early as Saturday."
Ivan is a powerful hurricane packing winds of 115 miles per hour, currently located 360 miles east-southeast of Barbados.
Although power was lost to all three Orbiter Processing Facilities (OPFs), which shelter the shuttle fleet, there was no siginificant damage to the buildings other than some minor water intrusion beneath doors. Power has been restored to OPF bays 1 and 2, but not yet at bay 3, which houses Discovery the shuttle slated for NASA's post-Columbia return to flight.
NASA's efforts to return the shuttle fleet to flight could also be impacted by extensive damage to the tile manufacturing facility at the space center.
"We believe that the roof is partially gone," Kennedy said. "There is extensive water damage within the facility."
Until repairs can be made, NASA is considering reactivating a recently closed tile manufacturing facility in Palmdale, California, according to Kennedy.
What the hell is with NASA
They are located in HURRICANE country
HINT THe Miami football team are the HURRICANES
Build them to take the worst a CAT 5
There is no "safe place" in Florida - nothing is immune from hurricanes.
> Build them to take the worst a CAT 5
They did... forty years ago. It's time for a new one. In fact, tiem for several new ones.
nasa is worried about the russians again
After this Hurricane season is over, lots of retirees will be planning to move to the Sun Belt, ot just stay up North.
Is this the one that used to roll out the Saturn V?
NASA is strategically placed on the continent, strategically built, and also strategically located in FL. Government does not spend that much money on something only to lead to a loss on investment. They do their homework.
They could have built it anywhere in FL but they chose halfway up the east coast(nowhere near Miami) because that is the location with the least probability of a hurricane landfall, history proves. Science also contributes to the decision with wind and climate patterns. There have been some, as there always will be, but not many.
Fact is Frances was so large it covered the entire state of FL, nothing went untouched.
I would be curious to see their building maintenance records tho.
A ton of looming retirees are mirroring your thoughts, I'd guess. There's gonna be a tanking of certain housing market sectors in Florida.
This is terrible news. I have friends who lost everything this weekend when the whole roof came off their house. Ivan would probably take the walls down.
God, please bless these people in FL and help them keep strong in these trying times.
I suggest people donate to the Red Cross http://redcross.org
They are almost up to 90% use of donations for what they were intended for, (IOW 10% admin costs), and I have always thought the Red Cross was a necessary 'clearing house' needed for these types of events. They have improved tremendously after 9-11 (grudging thanks to Bill O'Reilly).
I believe the major buildings were built to withstand 115 MPH (coincidentally), without MAJOR structural damage.
According to the Weather Channel several days ago, there has not ever been a hurricane in recorded history to enter Florida at Melbourne (which is below the Cape) or above. This one entered around Ft. Pierce.
No one could pay me enough to live in a mobile home in Florida. For the life of me, I don't know what possesses people to do it, other than C.H.E.A.P. But you could do the same in other states and not have to worry about hurricanes.
They are located in HURRICANE country
Unfortunately the best locations for launching spacecraft into equatorial orbits are. The Ideal locations are at the equator on the western shore of an ocean. That way they can take advantage of the Earths rotation to add about 1,000 mph to the initial speed launching west to east while giving plenty of room for a malfunctioning rocket to crash into th ocean. Unfortunately hurricanes form in tropical regions of the oceans and travel east to west.
According to the Weather Channel several days ago, there has not ever been a hurricane in recorded history to enter Florida at Melbourne (which is below the Cape) or above. This one entered around Ft. Pierce.
That has a lot do with selecting the site for the space center way back in the late 1950's - early 1960's.
Hurricanes don't form less then 5 degrees latitude from the Equator, north or south. Hurricanes form from 5 to 30 degrees latitude, north or south. Actually, that is a safe area for space launching. I saw the latest projections, Ivan is less likely to hit Florida. It is always subjected to change though.
But Florida is about as close to the equator as you can get and still be in the continental US. That's why the Kenedy Space Center is located there. Considering the space program started as an offshoot of military missle programs, there was no way the US was going to launch space vehicles from anywhere but CONUS.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.