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Tue, Nov 01, 2005

Wilma's Wrath: Pluto-Bound Rocket Damaged By Hurricane

Hangar Door Failed In Spite Of Tougher Wind Rating

That big DING! sound you heard last week came from Florida.

It was the sound of Hurricane Wilma slamming into the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station's hangar housing the New Horizon Pluto probe. Specifically, it was the probe itself, sustaining damage from winds clocked at just over hurricane speed. Those winds damaged the hangar and, yes, damaged the probe.

"We're pretty confident this isn't going to be a reason to hold up the launch," said Lockheed-Martin spokeswoman Julie Andrews.

Seems winds of 76 mph were able to breach a hangar door designed to withstand gusts of twice that speed. The 200-foot tall rocket, standing vertically inside, along with some of the ground support equipment, were damaged -- but only slightly, according to Andrews.

As Aero-News reported in September, the New Horizon spacecraft, powered by 24-pounds of plutonium pellets, is scheduled to launch January 11th on a voyage that will take a decade to complete. In the process, it will fly around Jupiter two years from now to get the gravitational boost it needs to make the rest of its trip.

If there is any substantial damage, it'll have to be fixed quickly. The launch window closes February 14th.

FMI: www.pluto.jhuapl.edu

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