Hurricane Matthew lashed NASA’s rocket launch facility at
Cape Canaveral on Friday, forcing power outages and damaging roofs as it
battered the Florida coast with wind gusts, the US space agency said.
Rockets, spaceships and crucial equipment for the US space
program and private companies like SpaceX are all stored in the area,
which is home to Kennedy Space Center.
“At this time there is observed to be limited roof damage to
KSC facilities, water and electrical utilities services have been
disrupted and there is scattered debris,” wrote NASA’s Brian Dunbar on
the US space agency’s website.
By 9:45 am (1345 GMT), the worst of the storm had passed offshore from Cape Canaveral, NASA said on its website.
Just about an hour earlier, at around 8:30 am (1230 GMT), Category 3
Matthew shaved past the NASA launchpad at a distance of 26 miles (42
kilometers) off the tip of Cape Canaveral.Winds were gusting at up to 107 miles (172 kilometers) per hour and
tropical storm force winds are expected to continue until late Friday.
A skeleton crew of 116 people was on staff at Kennedy Space Center to ride out the hurricane.
Their mission is to report on significant events to the
Emergency Operations Center, located in the Launch Control Center at
Complex 39, and take any needed actions help keep the facility secure.
“All facilities at Kennedy Space Center and Cape Canaveral Air Force Station have been secured,” said Dunbar.
“After the hurricane has passed and winds have dropped below
50 knots (approximately 58 mph), damage around the space center will be
assessed and the Damage Assessment and Recovery Team will then report
for duty.”
Crews were expected to begin documenting the extent of the damage outdoors around Kennedy Space Center later Friday afternoon.
AFP
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