NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida was in the direct path of Hurricane Matthew in the beginning of October, but seems to have avoided major damage.
“We’re closely monitoring the weather conditions and working with our partners at Kennedy Space Center and Cape Canaveral Air Force State to safeguard facilities and personnel in the potentially affected areas, said an official spokesperson for NASA at the Kennedy Space Center.
According to The Verge, as original radar models predicted, the space center would receive a direct hit from the storm, with the eye of the hurricane being roughly 26 miles away from Cape Canaveral. The Kennedy Space Center saw windspeeds around 90 miles per hour, with individual gusts topping 107 miles per hour, which is the most the center has ever seen, but luckily, the building was made to withstand gusts of up to 135 miles per hour.
“While there is damage to numerous facilities at KSC, it consists largely roof damage, window damage, water intrusion, damage to modular buildings, and to building siding,” said NASA’s official statement regarding Hurricane Matthew. “There does not appear to be damage to flight hardware at this time.”
It’s recommended that the average homeowner or property owner get their roof inspected at least once a year, but NASA space stations near Florida’s coastline should have inspections done much more frequently.
Although structural damage is unwanted and can provide setbacks for various NASA programs, a technical issue or launch pad problem would be much more serious.
According to Fox News, NASA’s original report stated that there was limited structural damage and that there was water and electrical service issues within the building.
Despite the debris scattered throughout the property and some damage to the building’s structure, America’s Space Coast is relatively unscathed by Hurricane Matthew, which could have been much worse.