A $239 million satellite toppled to a factory floor last year because nobody bothered to check that it was secure before moving it, according to a NASA investigation board's report on the mishap. The NOAA N-Prime satellite fell about 3 feet as it was being moved from a vertical to a horizontal position on Sept. 6, 2003, to remove an instrument at a facility in Sunnyvale, Calif. Nobody noticed that the 24 bolts that should have secured the spacecraft were missing.
Investigators were especially critical of the Lockheed Martin operations team for its "lack of discipline in following procedures," a problem that evolved from "complacent attitudes toward routine spacecraft handling, poor communication and coordination." Buddy Nelson, a Lockheed Martin spokesman, said NASA's final report was consistent with the findings of the company's internal investigators. "Lockheed Martin has implemented improvements to company policies, procedures and practices that ensure such an incident will not occur again," he said Tuesday.
| "Anybody see a set of bolts and a restraining strap 'round here?" |
It will cost an estimated $135 million to rebuild the spacecraft's main section and two damaged instruments. No one was injured in the incident. On Monday, NOAA announced that it has reached an agreement with Lockheed Martin to finish the satellite. In addition, the company will contribute all profits it earned from the contract to rebuild the spacecraft and will complete the work on a cost-only basis, Nelson said. Before the accident, the spacecraft was supposed to be placed into storage until launch in 2008. It's now scheduled to be launched in December 2007. |