posted 09-10-2008 08:26 PM               

The track and severity of Ike and its potential impact at Johnson Space Center (JSC) in Houston remain unclear.

JSC officials elevated the center's status to Level 3 on Wednesday, which prepares the center to be in a position to close down operations if necessary in a timely manner.

posted 09-11-2008 02:25 AM               

JSC Will Close at Noon Thursday, September 11

The NASA Johnson Space Center will close at noon Thursday, September 11 due to the threat of severe weather posed by Hurricane Ike. Designated employees will complete Level 3 actions intended to prepare the center for the impact of the storm. The Johnson Space Center will close to the general work force until storm conditions are terminated and the center is assessed to be safe for restoration of normal operations. The Johnson Space Center ride-out teams are to report to their ride-out locations as previously directed. Unless there is significant damage from the storm, the Johnson Space center could open for normal operations as early as Monday, September 15, however this could change if weather conditions remain hazardous.

NASA's Johnson Space Center took precautions on Wednesday as Hurricane Ike aimed for the Texas coast, establishing but not activating a temporary Mission Control near Austin and flying nearly two dozen of its aircraft based at Elllington Field out of the storm's path.

The agency dispatched more than 30 people to a hotel in the Austin area, where they can monitor activities aboard the international space station and communicate with the three-man American and Russian crew if electrical power is interrupted in Houston. NASA followed the same procedure during Hurricane Rita three years ago.

Another team was sent to the Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala., where members would assume control of the orbital outpost if Johnson was severely damaged by the storm. Marshall already hosts a control center used by the station astronauts for scientific activities.

"We hope we don't have to talk to you," the Austin control team radioed the station's crew, American Greg Chamitoff and Russians Sergei Volkov and Oleg Kononenko during an afternoon communications check. "If we do, that means Houston had to evacuate."

Chamitoff, who plans to return to Earth in late November, took the preparations in stride.

"Thanks for being there," he radioed.

At Ellington, NASA houses T-38 jets and other aircraft used by the astronauts to train for shuttle missions. The space agency flew 22 training and a high altitude research aircraft out of Ellington on Wednesday to El Paso. NASA has a permanent aircraft facility at the West Texas site.

posted 09-11-2008 09:37 AM               

As such, the collectSPACE office and museum (a.k.a. my home) has been packed up and is in the processing of being temporarily relocated to a location outside of Houston.

posted 09-11-2008 09:58 PM               

Hurricane Ike Impact Felt In Space

Hurricane Ike has delayed the scheduled Friday arrival of a Russian Progress cargo ship at the International Space Station 220 miles above Earth.

The Progress docking was postponed when the space station's control room at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston was closed Thursday because of the approaching storm.

Control of the space station was handed to flight controllers at backup facilities near Austin, Texas, and Huntsville, Ala. Because the Mission Control Center in Houston is responsible for commanding many of the station's systems, U.S. and Russian officials agreed to delay the docking.

Russian flight controllers will execute a maneuver to place the Progress spacecraft into a safe orbit away from the station until docking, which is planned for Wednesday, Sept. 17. If Johnson's control center is not restored to full capability for docking, one of the backup facilities may be used to command the station's systems.

Station Commander Sergei Volkov and Flight Engineers Oleg Kononenko and Greg Chamitoff are awaiting the arrival of the cargo ship. The spacecraft is carrying more than 2 tons of supplies, including food and fuel.

posted 09-12-2008 03:57 AM               

I do know after Katrina, there was some concern that if a high Category 4 or low 5 storm did hit the Houston area, flooding could go inland for many miles. This was one of the reasons why so many people evacuated when Hurricane Rita came close in 2005 and for a time was projected to be a direct strike (it didn't quite happen that way though).

In the case of JSC, just off to the east sits the various water inlets that make up Galveston Bay and it sits VERY close by. The last hurricane to hit Houston and Galveston directly was hurricane Alicia, a category 3 storm that hit just to the south west of Galveston bay. Damage was pretty fierce as I recall, but not Katrina or Andrew level. Some high rise buildings in Houston did get their windows blown out by flying debris though and there was also some flooding. One subdivision which had been prone to flooding in previous years was bought out by the government and closed down after Alicia. I don't recall what sort of impact JSC felt that year, but I would guess it wasn't all that big since none of the summaries I've read on the web talk about it.

Ike here seems to be tracking very similar to what Alicia did, although the current projected path has it potentially hitting Galveston bay directly. Currently, it seems that Ike will probably hit as a high category 2 storm, maybe a borderline 3, but it doesn't seem likely to be quite as powerful as Alicia when it hits. The storm surge height itself is going to depend on the tide when the storm makes landfall.

posted 09-12-2008 06:24 PM               

See more photographs like these on NASA's website.

posted 09-13-2008 03:08 AM               

Based on what they are showing, right now it seems as though a segment of the eye is passing over Clear Lake, and there are a lot of boats sitting in what I believe to be Clear Lake itself (or a rain swelled Clear Lake) with a small number of them capsized. Clear Lake I imagine will have some bad flooding, but it probably won't nearly be as bad as what Galveston seems to be right now with talk of water over topping the seawall there.

posted 09-13-2008 10:50 AM               

The NASA Johnson Space Center remains closed today and through the weekend due to threat posed by Hurricane Ike. Designated employees completed all actions to prepare the center for the impact of the storm. The Johnson Space Center will remain closed to the general work force until storm conditions are terminated and the center is assessed to be safe for restoration of normal operations.

Hurricane Ike made landfall in Galveston, Texas early Saturday and moved onshore through the greater Houston area. A 65-member team that rode out the storm at NASA's Johnson Space Center will assess the condition of Johnson when it is safe to do so. The International Space Station continues to be controlled by NASA flight controllers who were dispatched to the Austin, Texas, area and Huntsville, Alabama, prior to the onset of the storm.

It is too early to know what effect, if any, the hurricane will have on upcoming space shuttle launches.

The Hilton appears to have been badly damaged, its basement flooded, lobby torn apart and windows blown out. The hotel, along with all of Houston, is without power.

My home (and the collectSPACE office) is located just opposite the Hilton and JSC, but there is no indication yet how it fared.

posted 09-13-2008 12:23 PM               

NASA's Johnson Space Center experienced high winds that downed tree limbs across the 1,600-acre nstallation in Houston's Clear Lake region and at least some water in buildings from leaky roofs, according to an early damage assessment, agency spokesman John Ira Petty said this morning. Power was lost overnight as well and remained off this morning.

Initially, there were concerns that the surge across Galveston Bay from high winds might lead to the flooding of buildings on the southeast corner of the center along Space Center Boulevard.

That did not materialize, but a wider inspection of the center by a 60-person rideout team was expected as weather conditions improve, said Petty.

Ellington Field: Hangars gone for NASA's SuperGuppy (formerly at Ellington) and T-38's (training jets for astronauts).

posted 09-13-2008 02:06 PM               

NASA's Mission Control at Johnson Space Center sustained roof damage from high winds during Hurricane Ike, the space agency said Saturday.

A rideout team operating the control center during the storm was able to protect computers and other critical equipment before they could be damaged, said space agency spokesman John Ira Petty.

In addition to the Mission Control damage, NASA said, Ike caused roof damage to a hangar at Ellington Field that houses NASA aircraft. NASA flew most of the nearly 50 aircraft that astronauts use for training to El Paso before the storm. The nine that remained at Ellington are not believed to have been damaged, Petty said.

posted 09-14-2008 10:22 AM               

Reports from neighbors who sheltered in place fortunately suggest that there was only minor damage.

posted 09-14-2008 01:43 PM               

NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston remains closed and likely will be limited to recovery operations for the next week. Johnson may not be open for normal operations until the week of Sept. 21.

The 65-member team that rode out Hurricane Ike at Johnson has begun to transition to recovery operations, cleaning up debris, restoring power and other center facilities and infrastructure.

A damage assessment team determined that the Sonny Carter Training Facility near Johnson appears to be undamaged.

The International Space Station continues to be controlled by NASA flight controllers who were dispatched to the Austin, Texas, area and Huntsville, Ala., prior to the onset of the storm.

It is too early to know what effect, if any, the hurricane will have on upcoming space shuttle launches.

Johnson employees are encouraged to call the JSC Emergency Information Line locally at 281-483-3351, or remotely, toll-free, at 1-877-283-1947, for updated information, including when they should return to work.

posted 09-14-2008 02:17 PM               

quote:

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Originally posted by astro-nut:
Please know we are thinking of you!!

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I have not seen anything at all on the national news or our local news here in Baltimore about JSC's storm damage.

I sit here and am worried about anyone who has had damage from Ike. It's heart breaking!!

posted 09-16-2008 06:27 AM               

quote:

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Originally posted by Space Emblem Art:
...but to see the destruction on tv makes me thankful for the technolgy allowing early forecasting and time it gives you all to prepare and/or evacuate in time.

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posted 09-16-2008 09:11 AM               

In a widely distributed e-mail, NASA shuttle program manager John Shannon said employees whose lives have been disrupted by Ike should take care of their families first.

Many who evacuated in advance of the monster storm have not been able to return to their homes in communities that surround Johnson Space Center, which escaped major damage, but will remain closed to all but recovery crews this week.

The weeklong closure will stall astronaut and flight controller training for the Oct. 10 launch of Atlantis on a Hubble Space Telescope servicing mission and the Nov. 12 launch of Endeavour on an International Space Station outfitting flight.

But NASA says the dates nonetheless remain achievable.

"We don't have any data that says we should have to delay the launches," NASA spokesman Mike Curie said.

posted 09-18-2008 08:40 AM               

Windsor native and NASA astronaut Col. Douglas H. Wheelock canceled a trip to the Binghamton area this week after Hurricane Ike went through his Texas city.

Douglas' mother, Margaret Wheelock, who lives in Windsor, said her son was able to return to his home in Freeport on Tuesday night and found no major damage. Douglas, his wife and daughter are without power, and debris is scattered across their yard.

"They're managing," said Margaret. "There are people a whole lot worse off than them."

posted 09-18-2008 11:11 AM               

NASA's Johnson Space Center To Reopen Monday After Ike

NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston is scheduled to reopen Monday, Sept. 22, ending its closure related to Hurricane Ike. Johnson shut down Sept. 11 as Ike approached the Texas coast.

International Space Station flight control is scheduled to resume from Mission Control in Houston during the morning of Friday, Sept. 19. Station flight control was transferred to a backup facility near Austin, Texas, and later, to another facility at the Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala.

The Mission Control Center and other key Johnson facilities are largely unscathed, partly because of extensive preparations and the work of a hurricane rideout team of more than 60 people. However, some center buildings suffered roof, window and facade damage. Several light poles were downed, as were a number of trees. The damage assessment and cleanup continues.

posted 09-20-2008 10:03 AM               

quote:

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Originally posted by Lou Chinal:
Let us know when you have "wheels stop."

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On our approach to the airport, I could see many homes with blue tarps covering holes in their roofs. There were still a few areas of flooding, too. A couple of quarries would be indistinguishable from lakes were it not for the large machinery emerging from the middle of the water.

Almost all the traffic signals are still without power or are flashing red. At the most busy intersections, the police are directing traffic. Elsewhere, it's a four-way stop, a dangerous situation even during the day (I was almost hit by a truck driver who seemed to think the protocol was just pause and go).

My place was spared damage: the storm surge only reached the lip of our complex's infinity pool (talk about infinity, what a sight that would have been). There are many downed trees and debris is scattered. Fortunately, power came back on early yesterday morning before my arrival.

Most of my smaller artifacts rode out the storm in shipping crates and suitcases packed in my car, parked on a middle level of a concrete garage. The car was unscathed but there are some lessons to be learned. Though I hope there isn't a next time, I need to buy a stock of desiccant packs for next time.

This weekend I plan to survey the various Apollo boilerplates and similar outdoor displays to see how they fared the storm. One known causality is the Lone Star Flight Museum in Galveston, which is also the home of the Texas Aviation Hall of Fame.

The Hall, which includes among its inductees Bill Anders, Alan Bean, Gene Cernan, Max Faget and John Young, was destroyed and most of its artifacts were lost.

The museum flew most of its historic planes (B-17, B-25, DC-3, P-47, F6F, F4U, SBD, PT-17, T-6 and the F8F) out of the area before Ike arrived, but as can be seen in these photos, the remaining aircraft were damaged, at one point floating in 7 to 8 feet of salt water.