Robert Pearlman
Editor Posts: 12300
From: Houston, TX
Registered: Nov 1999
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posted June 08, 2005 03:59 PM
   
From A Field Guide To American Spacecraft: quote:
On September 5, 2004, Hurricane Francis bore down on Florida's Space Coast, only the second time in recorded history this area was struck by the full force of a hurricane (and second of what would be three strikes that summer). One unfortunate result was the damage of the Mercury Spacecraft mockup atop the Redstone booster found at KSC's Gate 2 on State Hwy. 3. Many of the corrugated panels were tossed around the parking are by the Press Center nearby.On June 7, 2005, the spacecraft returned. Guard Lee of Apopka, FL, produced the fiberglass reproduction using the originalframwork removed earlier. The aluminum escape tower mockup was also cleaned and repainted. This new capsule serves double duty, providing an authentic looking vehicle but also acting as a rain umbrella, preventing future water damage to the booster interior.
Pictures and more details are here.Jim Gerard, who runs AFGAS, also notes that the toppled Redstone that once stood near KSC Gate 3 has recently been discovered to be one of only two uprated Redstone boosters that did not fly. Until this discovery, the location of neither original Mercury-Redstone was known. [This message has been edited by Robert Pearlman (edited June 08, 2005).] IP: Logged |
