NASA Transfers Space Station Control to Russia

MSNBC ^ | 4:00 p.m. ET Sept. 21, 2005

[anymouse]

Agency’s Houston center evacuated as Hurricane Rita approaches

NASA ordered the evacuation of its Johnson Space Center in Houston on Wednesday and turned over control of the international space station to its Russian partners as Hurricane Rita barreled across the Gulf of Mexico.

Space agency officials said the center would be closed on Thursday and Friday, with "ride-out teams" staying behind to keep watch on critical systems. Rita is expected to make landfall near Houston by Saturday.

[anymouse]

NASA JSC has some of the best meteorologists in the World - and they are bugging out!

[anymouse]

Space ping.

[dirtboy]

NASA JSC has some of the best meteorologists in the World - and they are bugging out!

To paraphrase Bob Dylan: "It doesn't take a weatherman / To know it's time to bug out."

[birbear]

WE'RE DOOMED

[Names Ash Housewares]

Where is the smart ass NASA bashing remark? Should be any second now.

[wallcrawlr]

turned over control of the international space station to its Russian partners

How often does that happen?

[Ciexyz]

And as they evacuated they said 'Cpasibo bolshoe' (Thanks) to their Russian colleagues.

[topher]

It is between Houston and Galveston, also.

That area has a 90% chance of getting whacked by the NE Quadrant.

The NE Quadrant of Katrina waylayed Mississippi/Alabama...

Just common sense to evacuate...

Someone might want to get some good pics of the Astrodome.

It is not made as good as the Superdome was...

[anymouse]

In the imortal words of Army Lt. Gen. Russel Honore: "Don't get stuck on stupid!"

[Realism]

Hope they don't crash it.

[wallcrawlr]

Russian partners

??

[ArrogantBustard]

These would be the same guys that kept Mir going 'way past its designed lifetime.

No worries.

[neodad]

Wouldn't it be better to transfer to the Chinese? Afterall, we operate on the same systems. /sarc

[Rennes Templar]

Haven't seen any remarks re that inept bloated gov't. excuse for a scientific enterprise.

[NCC-1701]

"...How often does that happen?..."

Not very often. It may have happened a couple of times when hurricanes came close to JSC.

[NCC-1701]

"...Someone might want to get some good pics of the Astrodome.

It is not made as good as the Superdome was..."

Good thing the Texans have a bye this week. Had they had a home game, Reliant Stadium may or may not have been useable.

[oldleft]

A football game in 160 mph winds...now that's FOOTBALL baby!

[NCC-1701]

You know it. A 160 mph sustained wind would really play havoc with the kicking game. But if you had the wind at your back, a 99 yard field goal wouldn't be out of the question.

[My2Cents]

What are NASA's contigency plans if the JSC is significantly damaged?

[anymouse]

What are NASA's contigency plans if the JSC is significantly damaged?

Learn Russian.

[MindBender26]

>What are NASA's contingency plans if the JSC is significantly damaged?


and what winds was it designed to withstand? At 160+. winds are so strong, raindrops will spall and soon destroy even well-poured reinforced concrete.

JSC has lots of old rockets on outside display. Now you could call them "arrows."

[peyton randolph]

JSC has lots of old rockets on outside display. Now you could call them "arrows."

Any chance of getting Cindy Sheehan, Sheila Jackson Lee, et al. to chain themselves to the rockets before the hurricane arrives in order to protest what will soon become "occupied Houston."

[Fred Hayek]

The Russians have consistently proven their ability to make the most of what they have - not just Mir, but the Venera landers (which used some "brute force" technology).

[steveegg]

WE'RE DOOMED

As long as we're not domed,.... </homor_weak>

[steveegg]

Any chance of getting Cindy Sheehan, Sheila Jackson Lee, et al. to chain themselves to the rockets before the hurricane arrives in order to protest what will soon become "occupied Houston."

May I suggest they face southeast? :-)

[Petey139]

Wouldn't it be better to transfer to the Chinese? Afterall, we operate on the same systems. /sarc You sure? If we did I bet within next week many crucial parts would be missing from the shuttle.

[Recovering Hermit]

May I suggest they face southeast? :-)

Better yet, bend over and face southwest.

[John Jamieson]

I thought we gave 'em control years ago. Wonder if we could get 'em to give us a buck for it?

[keat]

[MindBender26]

>Any chance of getting Cindy Sheehan, Sheila Jackson Lee, et al. to chain themselves to the rockets before the hurricane arrives in order to protest what will soon become "occupied Houston."

Congressperson Sheila Jack Suh Hun Lee would be perfect. She often wears that chrome "flying saucer" tiara. Couldn't find a picture of it, but imagine this wrapped in Christmas tinsel.

http://www.hillnews.com/photos/050404/jackson-lee-sheila-12-9-02.gif

[KevinDavis]

Smart move...

[Hawk1976]

What NASA can control the weather? What have we been spending billions for then?




(Happy now?)

[Hawk1976]

Oops can = can't....

Hard to type with an occupied lap.

[stockpirate]

By the timne it reaches land couldn't the winds be a lot higher than 165, it has two more days in very hot waters.

[MindBender26]

Friend who is hurricane specialist AMA seal TV weather guesser (also glib, with a good haircut, nice suits and great teeth....) says that winds "cycle" up and down as eyewall replacement occurs.... whatever this is.

He also said it can grow, and even if winds die down somewhat, surge stays high for much longer than winds and the counterclockwise flow of winds could push huge surge up the Galveston Ship Channel.

[Prince Charles]

Space agency officials said the center would be closed on Thursday and Friday, with "ride-out teams" staying behind to keep watch on critical systems. Rita is expected to make landfall near Houston by Saturday.

Houston, we have a problem.

[Tulsa Ramjet]

"...turned over control of the international space station to its Russian partners"

Holy cow. For a minute there I thought that headline meant we had some sort of time-share thing going, and our control was up, sort of like the Panama Canal. I had visions of Jimmy Carter. Forgot about Lovely Rita.

[Prime Choice]

Where is the smart dumb ass NASA bashing remark?

There. Fixed it. ;o)

P.S. -- Shop Smart. Shop S-Mart.

[Prime Choice]

Houston, we have a problem.

You're telling me. KSC got some damage earlier. Then Stennis and Michoud got nailed by Katrina. Now JSC is in the path of Rita.

I don't suppose now would be a good time to relocate to Canberra with DSN, hah?

[WestVirginiaRebel]

Ground control to Major Tom/I don't speak Russian; what's going on?

[44magnum]

followed by.......yob ty.....vsye nashi spetsialisti uzhye pod stolom

[RussianJew]

FINALLY!!! I found russian cosmonaut with the wrench (actualy two wrenches and the ... Bell)! God, it was hard!