NASA plans to resume work at Michoud Assembly Facility

Katherine Trinidad
Headquarters, Washington September 16, 2005
(Phone: 202/358-3749)

June Malone
Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, Ala.
(Phone: 256/544-0034)

RELEASE: 05-268

NASA PLANS TO RESUME WORK AT MICHOUD ASSEMBLY FACILITY

Recovery efforts at NASA's Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans are
progressing better than originally anticipated, almost three weeks after
Hurricane Katrina struck. Power has been restored to the entire complex
where space shuttle external fuel tanks are made. Temporary repairs have
been made to damaged buildings.

Due to the progress, the Space Shuttle program has decided to keep tank work
at Michoud. The program had explored the option of moving some tank work to
NASA's Kennedy Space Center, Fla. Officials determined that by the time
Kennedy's facilities were outfitted to do tank work, Michoud would already
be operational. The agency is now assessing the work force needed to start
and maintain minimal operations at Michoud. The main priority will be to
ensure temporary housing for NASA civil servants and contractors whose homes
were destroyed by Katrina.

Preparations are also under way to ship two external tanks from Kennedy back
to Michoud by barge. External tank #120 is expected to arrive at Michoud in
early October. It will be examined and portions of it dissected to better
understand why foam came off during Space Shuttle Discovery's launch last
July. External tank #119 will be sent back to Michoud in late October.

NASA is still working to contact 76 of more than 2,000 Michoud employees.
The toll free phone number for employees to check in and for help locating
employees who work at either Michoud or the Stennis Space Center, Miss., is:

877/470-5240

NASA has a public Web site to convey important contact information for NASA
employees and contractors impacted by Katrina and for general public
information at:

http://www.nasa.gov/eoc

For Stennis/Michoud updates and images on the Web, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/katrina

NASA also can take email inquiries from the public about general storm
recovery activities. Use "Assistance -- Katrina" in the subject line, and
send to:



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Jacques :-)

www.spacepatches.info