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Author
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Topic: U.S. Space & Rocket Center (AL): Fire (12/26/15)
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fredtrav
Member Posts: 1673
From: Birmingham AL
Registered: Aug 2010
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posted 12-26-2015 03:24 PM
   
Fire at the U.S. Space and Rocket Center: Heavy smoke is visible from I-565, as emergency crews respond to fire calls at the US Space and Rocket Center.Flames could be seen at a building near the display shuttle. |
Robert Pearlman
Editor Posts: 42988
From: Houston, TX
Registered: Nov 1999
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posted 12-26-2015 03:42 PM
Shevaun Bryan with WHNT reports the fire is now under control. It looks like the damage was to the building where Space Camp used to run its Mars simulations (it has since moved to the main building's training room floor).She's posted video to Twitter here and here. Her photos of the aftermath:  
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Robert Pearlman
Editor Posts: 42988
From: Houston, TX
Registered: Nov 1999
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posted 12-26-2015 04:20 PM
Statement by the U.S. Space & Rocket Center: Thank you to everyone for all of the concerns and thoughts today! The Huntsville Fire Department did a fantastic job at extinguishing the fire.The fire was in a periphery older building, Mission to Mars, apart from any main building at the U.S. Space & Rocket Center. The building had not been in use in 12 to 15 years, and was scheduled for renovation. Nothing else was impacted, and guests were allowed to return to the museum shortly thereafter. |
p51
Member Posts: 1642
From: Olympia, WA
Registered: Sep 2011
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posted 12-26-2015 05:52 PM
Glad to hear nobody was hurt and nothing from the Space Camp training area or museum appears to have been damaged.Isn't that area built partially with unused Saturn components? |
Robert Pearlman
Editor Posts: 42988
From: Houston, TX
Registered: Nov 1999
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posted 12-26-2015 05:58 PM
quote:
Originally posted by p51:
Isn't that area built partially with unused Saturn components?
Yes, as described in this thread: Surviving Saturn V interstages on display. |
Robert Pearlman
Editor Posts: 42988
From: Houston, TX
Registered: Nov 1999
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posted 12-26-2015 08:21 PM
collectSPACE Fire breaks out inside converted Saturn V stages at U.S. Space & Rocket CenterA fire broke out at the U.S. Space & Rocket Center in Huntsville, Alabama on Saturday (Dec. 26), damaging an out-of-use ride building that was formed from converted Saturn V rocket interstages. The fire inside the former Mission to Mars facility broke out sometime after 2 p.m. CST (2000 GMT) and was brought under control by the Huntsville Fire Department less than hour later. No injuries were reported.  |
SpaceKSCBlog
Member Posts: 119
From: Merritt Island, FL
Registered: Nov 2011
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posted 12-27-2015 05:19 AM
Video in this WHNT article. |
SpaceAholic
Member Posts: 4437
From: Sierra Vista, Arizona
Registered: Nov 1999
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posted 12-27-2015 08:11 AM
If ventilation was not shut down in adjacent structures during fire and overhall, likely smoke particulates were introduced into those buildings which could have long term detrimental effect on artifacts |
Robert Pearlman
Editor Posts: 42988
From: Houston, TX
Registered: Nov 1999
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posted 12-27-2015 11:02 AM
The adjacent buildings are the Space Camp Hab (housing), Astrotrek (future site of shuttle artifacts; for now houses one of the retired Space Camp shuttle simulators and 5DF and 1/6th Gravity chairs), and the main building with administrative offices, the Space Camp training room floor, the cafeteria and restaurant. The main building connects to what used to be the main museum, but now mostly contains traveling exhibits, ride simulators, a climbing wall, the IMAX theater, the robotics camp rooms and the gift shop. There are some smaller memorabilia in this building (including the recreation of Wernher von Braun's office) but the majority of the center's artifacts are in the Davidson Center for Space Exploration, located well down the road. Here are some aftermath photos via WHNT (credit: Blake Mathis):  
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SpaceAholic
Member Posts: 4437
From: Sierra Vista, Arizona
Registered: Nov 1999
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posted 12-27-2015 01:01 PM
There is (or was) a collection/storage room in the area as well with quite a few artifacts and the suits. |
Robert Pearlman
Editor Posts: 42988
From: Houston, TX
Registered: Nov 1999
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posted 12-31-2015 01:03 PM
Some aftermath photos taken today and shared by a reader... 
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