News - KSC Toxic Fuel Leak Prompts Evacuation of Two Shuttle Hangars

Toxic Fuel Leak Prompts KSC Evacuation

POSTED: 4:31 pm EST November 6, 2006

http://www.local6.com/news/10256044/detail.html

A leak of toxic rocket fuel prompted the evacuation of two shuttle
processing hangars at Kennedy Space Center Monday but no workers were
exposed to fumes or injured, NASA officials told Local 6 News partner
Florida Today.

The hydrazine leak was detected in Bay No. 1 of Orbiter Processing
Facility, where the orbiter Atlantis is undergoing post-flight
servicing and inspections. More than 100 people were evacuated from the
hangar and nearby OPF Bay No. 2 as a precaution.

Safety inspectors think the leak came from the shuttle's Orbital
Maneuvering System. Technicians over the weekend were draining residual
fuel from the system and removed a quick-disconnect line. Inspectors
think an end-cap for the line apparently came off after work was
completed, causing the leak.

Hydrazine is used in combination with nitrogen tetroxide to power the
shuttle's twin maneuvering engines in flight, Florida Today reported.
An elevated level of the toxic fuel -- 60 parts per million -- was
detected in the air around the engines, prompting the evacuation.

"That's not what we consider a dangerous level. But with any reading
above zero, we would take precautionary measures and evacuate the
facility," said KSC spokeswoman Jessica Rye.

Monday, November 06, 2006
Toxic fuel leak prompts evacuation at KSC

http://www.floridatoday.com/floridat...uation-at.html

A leak of toxic rocket fuel prompted the evacuation of two shuttle
processing hangars at Kennedy Space Center today but no workers were
exposed to fumes or injured, NASA officials said today.

The hydrazine leak was detected in Bay No. 1 of Orbiter Processing
Facility, where the orbiter Atlantis is undergoing post-flight
servicing and inspections. More than 100 people were evacuated from the
hangar and nearby OPF Bay No. 2 as a precaution.

Safety inspectors think the leak came from the shuttle's Orbital
Maneuvering System. Technicians over the weekend were draining residual
fuel from the system and removed a quick-disconnect line. Inspectors
think an end-cap for the line apparently came off after work was
completed, causing the leak.

Hydrazine is used in combination with nitrogen tetroxide to power the
shuttle's twin maneuvering engines in flight. An elevated level of the
toxic fuel -- 60 parts per million -- was detected in the air around
the engines, prompting the evacuation.

"That's not what we consider a dangerous level. But with any reading
above zero, we would take precautionary measures and evacuate the
facility," said KSC spokeswoman Jessica Rye.

The hangars were evacuated around 9 a.m. Normal operations are expected
to pick up again this afternoon.

Rusty wrote:
[...]
A leak of toxic rocket fuel prompted the evacuation of two shuttle
processing hangars at Kennedy Space Center Monday but no workers were
exposed to fumes or injured, NASA officials told Local 6 News partner
Florida Today.

Ouch ....


I don't recall a previous evacuation -- how many times has it happened?

/dps

"snidely" wrote in message
oups.com...

Rusty wrote:
[...]
A leak of toxic rocket fuel prompted the evacuation of two shuttle
processing hangars at Kennedy Space Center Monday but no workers were
exposed to fumes or injured, NASA officials told Local 6 News partner
Florida Today.

Ouch ....


I don't recall a previous evacuation -- how many times has it happened?

/dps

It's not that uncommon. It was no big deal.