posted 08-28-2005 10:46 PM               

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A small "rideout" crew is in place at Lockheed Martin's sprawling external tank production facility in New Orleans, braced for potentially catastrophic flooding and destructive winds from Hurricane Katrina. A powerful category 5 hurricane, Katrina was packing sustained winds of 175 mph Sunday afternoon, making it one of the most potentially destructive storms to ever threaten the U.S. coast.

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As far as space interests go, it bears reminding that New Orleans has an important role in the U.S. space program.

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posted 08-29-2005 05:39 PM               

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Hurricane Katrina is howling its way through Louisiana and has caused damage at NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans, the site where space shuttle external tanks are assembled.

“There is water leakage and potential water damage in the buildings, but there’s no way to tell how much at this point," Evan McCollum, a Lockheed Martin Space Systems spokesman in Denver told SPACE.com.

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posted 08-29-2005 06:10 PM               

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Lockheed Martin's Michoud Assembly Facility, the sprawling New Orleans plant where space shuttle external tanks are built, may have escaped catastrophic damage from Hurricane Katrina. The status of NASA's Stennis Space Center near Bay St. Louis, Miss., is not yet known.

A NASA official said the MAF endured peak wind gusts up to 125 mph during the height of the storm, but nearby levies appeared to hold and the only immediately obvious signs of damage were an inch or so of water in a security building, "some roof damage" and "widespread minor leaks."

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posted 08-30-2005 06:05 PM               

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In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, we fortunately have no reports of any injuries or deaths among NASA employees, contractors or family members at our Stennis Space Center and Michoud Assembly Facility. Based on early assessments, both locations did suffer building damage from the storm with no immediate indications of damage to flight hardware.

We also are grateful that the Stennis Space Center provided shelter to 4,000 people -- NASA employees, contractors and family members and stranded local residents -- as the hurricane moved through. The Stennis Space Center is still being used as a shelter location, and the center's parking lot is being used by Federal Emergency Management Agency officials as a staging area for recovery operations. The Stennis Space Center and Michoud Assembly Facility will be closed for business while recovery efforts continue.

Currently, Emergency Operations Centers at the affected centers and Headquarters are now open and will remain open during business hours as needed. As emergency crews begin the difficult work of clearing debris and restoring power and other services to the facilities on site, we also are assessing how resources across the entire Agency can best be used to offer support to the Stennis Space Center and Michoud Assembly Facility. The Marshall Space Flight Center is already helping tremendously by serving as a hub for offsite emergency procurement activities. Two helicopter flights from Marshall will deliver communication equipment and other supplies to the facilities today.

In the coming days and weeks, we want to make certain our colleagues and their families get the help they need. While there is considerable federal and state assistance on the way, NASA employees can get involved by contributing to the NASA Family Assistance Fund at http://www.feea.org. The NASA Family Assistance Fund will provide a grant of up to $400 and an interest-free loan of up to $600 for people living in declared disaster areas.

My heart goes out to all the people affected by the hurricane. I will be visiting the Stennis Space Center and Michoud Assembly Facility as soon as possible.

Mike Griffin
NASA Administrator

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posted 08-30-2005 06:56 PM               

NASA Assesses Hurricane Katrina Damage

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NASA is marshaling agency resources to assist Gulf Coast-area facilities that suffered damage from Hurricane Katrina. The agency is preparing to provide help for NASA employees and contractors whose homes were damaged or destroyed.

Monday's storm hit NASA's Stennis Space Center in Mississippi and Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans, which is operated by Lockheed Martin. Both facilities are closed during recovery efforts. During the storm, hundreds of people including employees, family members and others took shelter at Stennis. A small contingency of NASA employees and contractors rode out the storm at Michoud. There are no reports of any injuries at NASA facilities.

"My heart goes out to all the people affected by this hurricane," said NASA Administrator Michael Griffin. "I will be visiting Stennis and the Michoud Assembly Facility soon to talk with our people."

NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, Ala., sustained minor damage and is providing support to Stennis and Michoud. Two helicopter flights from Marshall were delivering communication equipment and other supplies to the facilities today. Initial damage assessments indicate some buildings at Stennis sustained water and roof damage, but the exact extent has not been determined.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency is using the center as a staging area for local recovery efforts. The center's Space Shuttle main engine test stands do not appear to be damaged.

At Michoud, which makes the Space Shuttle's external fuel tanks, several buildings suffered window and roof damage. It appears that space flight hardware was not damaged, but a preliminary assessment has not been completed. The facility has no electrical power and communication is limited. Debris on roadways is restricting transportation around the facility.

NASA will provide new information as it becomes available. For updates, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/hurricane

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posted 08-31-2005 07:16 PM               

NASA Working to Assist Agency Facilities Hit by Hurricane Katrina

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NASA teams are working to determine how best to assist personnel from the agency's two facilities that suffered damage from Hurricane Katrina. Space Shuttle Program Manager Bill Parsons has been named the senior NASA official in charge of the hurricane recovery effort.

Parsons is a Mississippi native and a former Stennis center director. NASA's Stennis Space Center in Mississippi and Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans are closed, while a complete assessment of necessary assistance and facility damage is underway. Employees of the two facilities have excused absences through the recovery period.

Stennis Space Center (SSC):

• No NASA employee or contractor injuries have been reported
• FEMA command center is at SSC. FEMA is bringing in food and water for the people sheltered on-site; approximately 1,000 people including NASA employees, contractors and others are at the center and more expected
• Many homes of SSC employees have been damaged or destroyed.
• There is no commercial electricity at SSC and the surrounding area. Generators are providing limited power to the center

Michoud:

• The only way to access the facility is by helicopter since the surrounding roadways are flooded; it appears space flight hardware was not damaged.
• The facility has no electrical power and communication is limited.

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posted 09-02-2005 01:07 PM               

IMAGERY OF NASA'S MICHOUD ASSEMBLY FACILITY AVAILABLE

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The first imagery showing the damage to NASA's Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans, La., is available on the Internet and will air during today's NASA TV noon EDT videofile. The Michoud facility manufactures Space Shuttle external fuel tanks.

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The facility received some damage to its buildings during Hurricane Katrina. First reports suggest none of the External Tanks were significantly damaged by the storm. The images are on the Web, at: www.nasa.gov/hurricane

posted 09-02-2005 04:30 PM               

NASA ESTABLISHES KATRINA RELIEF INQUIRY LINES

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NASA has opened a dedicated toll-free number to take information and provide assistance to individuals seeking information about family members that may be sheltering at the Stennis Space Center, Miss., or the Michoud Assembly Facility, near New Orleans.

The toll free number is: 877/470-5240

NASA has established a public Web site to convey important contact information to NASA employees and contractors impacted by Katrina and for general public information at:

http://www.nasa.gov/eoc

NASA has a toll-free number (888/362-4323) for recorded updates about general conditions at Stennis and Michoud. For updates about relief operations on the Web, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/hurricane

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posted 09-19-2005 09:55 AM               

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Recovery efforts at NASA's Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans are progressing better than originally anticipated, almost three weeks after Hurricane Katrina struck. Power has been restored to the entire complex where space shuttle external fuel tanks are made. Temporary repairs have been made to damaged buildings.

Due to the progress, the Space Shuttle program has decided to keep tank work at Michoud.
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Preparations are also under way to ship two external tanks from Kennedy back to Michoud by barge. External tank #120 is expected to arrive at Michoud in early October. It will be examined and portions of it dissected to better understand why foam came off during Space Shuttle Discovery's launch last July. External tank #119 will be sent back to Michoud in late October.

NASA is still working to contact 76 of more than 2,000 Michoud employees.

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