NASA is taking the threat from Hurricane Frances
seriously. The powerful storm is moving toward Florida’s east
coast and could affect NASA’s Kennedy Space Center (KSC) this
weekend.
As of today, KSC is closed, and its nearly 14,000 workers have
been sent home to make preparations with their families. The
center is tentatively scheduled to reopen Tuesday.
KSC workers spent the past several days taking steps to
protect the Space Shuttle fleet, spacecraft hardware, and
facilities against damage. Most major KSC systems have been
powered down, sandbags have been laid around building doors
and heavy equipment moved into the massive Vehicle Assembly
Building. Hardware has been covered with plastic or tarps and
smaller pieces of equipment have been raised off the ground.
All three Space Shuttles have been secured in their Orbiter
Processing Facilities. Shuttles’ systems are powered down,
their landing gear stowed and payload bay doors closed.
Spaceflight hardware has been lifted off floors and protected.
International Space Station (ISS) components, housed at KSC
while they are prepared for flight, have been secured.
“KSC houses some of the jewels of America’s space flight
program,” said Associate Administrator for Space Operations
Bill Readdy. “We’ve taken every precaution to secure our
spacecraft and facilities and to keep our workers safe. In 40
years of space flight operations at Cape Canaveral, we’ve
never sustained a direct hit from a hurricane, but we’ve
always been prepared,” he said.
Over the Labor Day weekend, NASA will release information
about conditions at KSC as it becomes available. Updates will
be available via recorded message at 202/358-1600 and posted
on the Web at:
Video b-roll of KSC hurricane preparations and related
soundbites are airing on the NASA TV Video File. Video of
Hurricane Frances taken from the ISS is also airing on NASA
TV. NASA will release additional footage of Frances and KSC as
available.
Still images of the storm, taken by Astronaut Mike Fincke from
the ISS and from NASA’s Terra satellite, are available on the
Web at: http://www.nasa.gov/vision/earth/lookingatearth/frances.html
NASA TV is available on the Web and via satellite in the
continental U.S. on AMC-6, Transponder 9C, C-Band, located at
72 degrees west longitude. The frequency is 3880.0 MHz.
Polarization is vertical, and audio is monaural at 6.80 MHz.
In Alaska and Hawaii, NASA TV is available on AMC-7,
Transponder 18C, C-Band, located at 137 degrees west
longitude. Frequency is 4060.0 MHz. Polarization is vertical,
and audio is monaural at 6.80 MHz.
For information about NASA on the Internet, visit: http://www.nasa.gov
