CAPE CANAVERAL - The
orbiter Atlantis rolled from the Vehicle Assembly Building back into its hangar
Tuesday as NASA prepared Kennedy Space Center for high winds and heavy rains
from a storm brewing offshore.
And the external tank for the next shuttle mission is scheduled to be moved
into the VAB today.
NASA meteorologists
forecast sustained winds of 23 mph today with gusts up to 40 mph.
The storm -- which was expected to strengthen into Tropical Storm Ophelia --
threatened to dump as much as 15 inches of rain in some areas. Five to 10
inches were expected elsewhere.
"The big concern is
that it's a slow-mover, and there's going to be a lot of rain, so there could
be flooding in low-lying areas," KSC spokesman George Diller said.
More rain and winds topping
58 mph are expected at KSC on Thursday.
NASA plans to move the
external tank for its next shuttle mission into the 52-story KSC Vehicle
Assembly Building today.
Secured inside a covered
barge, the 154-foot-long tank returned to KSC last week after Hurricane Katrina
prompted NASA to cancel a trip back to Michoud Assembly Facility in New
Orleans.
Damage from Katrina forced NASA to indefinitely close the factory, which
remains reachable only via helicopter and boat.
The fuel tank could ride
out the storm on the barge if necessary, KSC spokeswoman Jessica Rye said.
Engineers say it would be safe there even if the storm developed into a
Category 1 hurricane with winds between 74 and 95 mph.
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