A day after the Space Shuttle Discovery reached its launch pad, a gas leak early this morning forced NASA to evacuate hundreds of people from several Kennedy Space Center buildings, according to the AP.
NASA spokesman Allard Beutel told the AP that the leak occurred when a backhoe struck a natural gas line. There were no injuries or damages and NASA staff have since returned to work.
After the leak was discovered, workers were evacuated from several key facilities, including the Orbiter Processing Facilities, hangars housing the space shuttles Atlantis and Endeavor. While crews are currently repairing the natural gas line, it's unclear whether the incident will impact the scheduled February 24 launch date.
This isn't the first time a gas leak has stymied the Discovery. In November, hydrogen gas leaks—alongside inopportune weather—delayed the launch. Cracks in the shuttle's external fuel tank pushed liftoff into the New Year, with a target February 3 launch. By early January, however, the date moved again as NASA reported that crack repairs, modifications, and checks had moved launch to February 24.
The troubles haven't just been technical, either. On January 20 astronaut Tim Kopra took a spill on a weekend biking jaunt, requiring astronaut Steve Bowe to step in as his replacement. If the past several months are any indication, Kopra will have ample time to recover before Discovery discovers anything other than its launch pad.
Last week NASA marked the 25th Anniversary of the Challenger disaster. The final mission, the 135th launch of the Atlantis Shuttle, is set for June 28—this year or next.
NASA spokesman Allard Beutel told the AP that the leak occurred when a backhoe struck a natural gas line. There were no injuries or damages and NASA staff have since returned to work.
After the leak was discovered, workers were evacuated from several key facilities, including the Orbiter Processing Facilities, hangars housing the space shuttles Atlantis and Endeavor. While crews are currently repairing the natural gas line, it's unclear whether the incident will impact the scheduled February 24 launch date.
This isn't the first time a gas leak has stymied the Discovery. In November, hydrogen gas leaks—alongside inopportune weather—delayed the launch. Cracks in the shuttle's external fuel tank pushed liftoff into the New Year, with a target February 3 launch. By early January, however, the date moved again as NASA reported that crack repairs, modifications, and checks had moved launch to February 24.
The troubles haven't just been technical, either. On January 20 astronaut Tim Kopra took a spill on a weekend biking jaunt, requiring astronaut Steve Bowe to step in as his replacement. If the past several months are any indication, Kopra will have ample time to recover before Discovery discovers anything other than its launch pad.
Last week NASA marked the 25th Anniversary of the Challenger disaster. The final mission, the 135th launch of the Atlantis Shuttle, is set for June 28—this year or next.
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