KSC-04pd1846

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - NASA Administrator Sean O’Keefe (right) sits next to KSC Director of Spaceport Services Scott Kerr in the helicopter from which they will observe overall damage at the Center from Hurricane Frances. O’Keefe and NASA Associate Administrator of Space Operations Mission Directorate William Readdy are visiting KSC to survey the damage sustained by KSC facilities from the hurricane. The Labor Day storm caused significant damage to the Vehicle Assembly Building, Thermal Protection System Facility, and Processing Control Center. Additionally, the Operations and Checkout Building, Vertical Processing Facility, Hangar AE, Hangar S and Hangar AF Small Parts Facility each received substantial damage. However, well-protected and unharmed were NASA’s three Space Shuttle orbiters -- Discovery, Atlantis and Endeavour - along with the Shuttle launch pads, all of the critical flight hardware for the orbiters and the International Space Station, and NASA’s Swift spacecraft that is awaiting launch in October.