Hurricane Katrina Closes NASA's External Tank Factory

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Hurricane Katrina Closes NASA's External Tank Factory
The National Hurricane Center shows Katrina's predicted path in this map released on Aug. 28, 2005. (Image credit: National Hurricane Center.)

The plant that builds spaceshuttle external fuel tanks cleared out Sunday morning as colossal HurricaneKatrina roared toward shore.

NASA's Michoud AssemblyFacility in New Orleans employs about 2,000 Lockheed Martin workers, some fromas far as Tennessee and Texas. The facility closed at 8 a.m. Sunday, per thecity's mandatory evacuation order.

"We've been keepingtrack of this system Friday and Saturday, especially early Saturdayevening," LaNasa said. "We're following standard procedures toprepare for the hurricane. We've put the tanks on breathers and the facilityhas back up generators. We're as prepared as we can be for the largest storm tohit the continental U.S."

That's even if there is notmajor damage to the NASA complex, fuel tanks and the one-of-a-kind machinerythere.