Aug. 21, 2008 Allard Beutel Kennedy Space Center, Fla. 321-867-2468 allard.beutel@nasa.gov John Yembrick Headquarters, Washington 202-358-0602 john.yembrick@nasa.gov RELEASE: 21-08 NASA KENNEDY TO REOPEN FOR NORMAL OPERATIONS FRIDAY CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Managers at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, Fla., plan to reopen the center for normal operations Friday morning for workers' first shift. A slow-moving Tropical Storm Fay has kept Kennedy closed since Tuesday. The Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex also will reopen Friday. The center was set to open Thursday morning for limited operations, but Fay stalled off the coast from Kennedy overnight and continued to bring heavy rain and tropical storm force wind to the area through mid-day. Personnel are reminded to exercise caution when entering their work areas and report any unsafe conditions or damage to their immediate supervisor. Based on initial assessments, there is no damage to space flight hardware, such as the space shuttles and Hubble Space Telescope equipment. Some facilities did sustain minor damage. Most reports are of water intrusion that will require mopping up. A group of emergency personnel, known as a "ride-out crew," has been on-site since Tuesday and will remain on-duty until Friday morning to provide real-time assessments. All Kennedy workers should check with the center's hurricane information phone line for the latest status at 321-861-7900 or 1-866-572-4877 before reporting to work Friday. Updates also are available online at the agency's emergency operation center Web site: http://www.nasa.gov/eoc Reporters also can hear the latest status by using Kennedy's media update phone line at 321-867-2525. For information about Kennedy Space Center, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/kennedy -end- To subscribe to the list, send a message to: ksc-subscribe@newsletters.nasa.gov To remove your address from the list, send a message to: ksc-unsubscribe@newsletters.nasa.gov
