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Author
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Topic: Train carrying SRB segments derails
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Robert Pearlman
Editor Posts: 42986
From: Houston, TX
Registered: Nov 1999
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posted 05-02-2007 02:00 PM
   
From Florida Today: quote:
A train carrying shuttle solid rocket booster segments crashed in Alabama today, injuring six and potentially damaging at least one of the segments, according to NASA officials and television reports.En route to Kennedy Space Center from a Utah manufacturing plant, a bridge trestle the train was crossing collapsed in rural Alabama. A single train car with a single booster segment turned over on its side, officials said. The train was carrying eight segments and two exit cones. Television news reports indicate four of the six injured people were transported by air ambulance to hospitals in Tuscaloosa and Mobile. The cause of the bridge collapse has not been determined.
Read Train with booster segments crashes |
Robert Pearlman
Editor Posts: 42986
From: Houston, TX
Registered: Nov 1999
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posted 05-02-2007 02:03 PM
Additional updates: |
Astro Bill
Member Posts: 1329
From: New York, NY
Registered: Feb 2005
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posted 05-02-2007 02:25 PM
How serious are the injuries? Will this delay any shuttle launches this year? How could such an accident happen? |
Robert Pearlman
Editor Posts: 42986
From: Houston, TX
Registered: Nov 1999
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posted 05-02-2007 02:34 PM
quote:
Originally posted by Astro Bill:
How serious are the injuries?
According to reports, two were serious (but non-life threatening) and were airlifted from the scene, while the others experienced only minor injuries. quote:
Will this delay any shuttle launches this year?
According to reports, although the segments on-board were intended for STS-120 and STS-122, the availability of additional boosters will negate the impact to the shuttle launch schedule. quote:
How could such an accident happen?
It would seem it was the bridge at fault, though that will obviously be the focus of the post-recovery investigation. |
PowerCat
Member Posts: 193
From: Herington, KS, USA
Registered: Feb 2006
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posted 05-02-2007 03:09 PM
This is the second derailment of this particular train. There was a partial derailment while these segments were traveling through Kansas. The carrier had to be repaired in Salina, KS (home to new Hall of Fame astronaut Steve Hawley) before the train continued its journey to KSC.PowerCat |
Robert Pearlman
Editor Posts: 42986
From: Houston, TX
Registered: Nov 1999
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posted 05-02-2007 03:22 PM
CNN has video of the derailed train. From their video, this appears to the clearest view of the single SRB segment that was turned over on its side:  |
Robert Pearlman
Editor Posts: 42986
From: Houston, TX
Registered: Nov 1999
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posted 05-02-2007 10:35 PM
NASA release quote:
NASA Supports Train-Derailment Recovery in AlabamaOfficials from NASA and ATK Launch Systems, Edina, Minn., are assisting the Federal Railroad Administration during its investigation of a train derailment Wednesday morning near Pennington, Ala. The train was carrying space shuttle reusable solid rocket motor segments from the ATK Launch Systems manufacturing site in Brigham City, Utah, to NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, Fla. "Several members of the NASA family were injured in this serious accident. Today our prayers are for those who have been injured and their families. Our employees work in hazardous jobs every day, and it is our goal to keep them safe," said NASA's Space Shuttle Program Manager Wayne Hale. The special train carrying only solid rocket motor segments and a passenger car to monitor their transportation was crossing a bridge or a trestle, which collapsed under the locomotives. Six people were injured when the two locomotives and the passenger car dropped about 10 feet and turned on their sides. One of the cars carrying a solid rocket motor segment is also on its side. The remaining cars containing seven solid rocket motor segments and two aft exit cone segments are upright. The hardware was intended for use on shuttle Discovery's STS-120 mission in October and shuttle Atlantis's STS-122 mission in December. These segments are interchangeable, and ATK Launch Systems has replacement units that could be used for the shuttle flights, if necessary. Each segment weighs approximately 300,000 lbs. and is protected by a white or yellow colored fiberglass cover during shipment. The condition of the rocket motor segments will be assessed as soon as teams conduct a full inspection. Solid Rocket Motor segments have been transported across country by rail for more than 26 years with an excellent record of safe transportation.
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heng44
Member Posts: 3386
From: Netherlands
Registered: Nov 2001
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posted 05-03-2007 12:10 AM
I believe a similar accident happend before STS-26 or STS-27. The SRBs were not damaged, but I believe a person was killed when the train collided with a car, IIRC.Ed |
oldpara
New Member Posts:
From:
Registered:
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posted 05-04-2007 06:56 AM
I live about 30 miles from where this accident occurred, so the local radio stations talked about it quite a bit. From what they said, the tressle that collapsed had just recently been re-opened after undergoing some needed repairs. I guess the investigation will prove whether the repairs were done correctly or not. Another case of the work done by the lowest bidder............ |
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