Katherine Trinidad
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-3749
Kyle Herring
Johnson Space Center, Houston
281-483-5111
RELEASE: 07-97
NASA SUPPORTS TRAIN-DERAILMENT RECOVERY IN ALABAMA
WASHINGTON - Officials 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. For information about the
Space Shuttle Program, visit:
-end-
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