| T.R | Title | User | Personal
Name | Date | Lines |
|---|
| 903.1 | NASA Chemical Leak Hurts 14 | PRAGMA::GRIFFIN | Dave Griffin | Tue Apr 26 1994 18:19 | 22 |
| From: [email protected] (AP)
Newsgroups: clari.local.texas,clari.tw.space,clari.news.trouble
Subject: NASA Chemical Leak Hurts 14
Copyright: 1994 by The Associated Press, R
HOUSTON (AP) -- A chemical used in fuel for the space shuttle
leaked from a storage facility Thursday, forming a reddish cloud
over the Johnson Space Center. At least 14 people were treated for
breathing difficulties.
Westerly winds quickly dissipated the cloud of nitrogen
tetroxide, which was accidentally released about 11:30 a.m., said
Brian Welch, a spokesman with the National Aeronautics and Space
Administration.
``We're not sure at this point how it was released,'' said
Welch. ``Clearly it was not intentional. We take extraordinary
safety guards in our thermal chemical area.''
NASA officials said they couldn't confirm the Fire Department's
figure on the number of people treated.
Welch did not know how many people were working in the area
where the chemical was released, nor did he know how much was
released or commonly stored at the 1,620-acre space center. NASA
and Houston Fire Department officials were investigating.
|
| 903.2 | AP: Chemicals Leak At Space Center | PRAGMA::GRIFFIN | Dave Griffin | Tue Apr 26 1994 18:20 | 35 |
| From: [email protected] (AP)
Subject: Chemicals Leak At Space Center
Copyright: 1994 by The Associated Press, R
Date: Thu, 21 Apr 94 17:40:51 PDT
HOUSTON (AP) -- A chemical used in space shuttle engine fuel
leaked from a storage facility at the Johnson Space Center, causing
a toxic cloud Thursday. More than 50 people suffered eye, nose,
throat and skin irritation.
The chemical, nitrogen tetroxide, can be fatal if inhaled in
large amounts. None of the injuries was serious, officials said,
but 30 employees were sent to a space center clinic for treatment
and 25 others were treated at hospitals.
The cloud floated about 400 feet above the north side of the
space center, where the chemical is stored, center spokesman Brian
Welch said.
But winds quickly dissipated the cloud, which turned from red to
yellow.
``We're not sure at this point how it was released,'' Welch
said. ``Clearly it was not intentional. We take extraordinary
safety guards in our thermal chemical area.''
Welch did not know how many people were working in the area
where the chemical was released, nor did he know how much was
released or commonly stored at the 1,620-acre space center. NASA
and Houston Fire Department officials were investigating the leak.
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|
| 903.3 | RE: Chemical used for maneuvering thruster propellant? | LEVERS::BATTERSBY | | Tue Apr 26 1994 18:28 | 6 |
| So this is the same chemical used in the shuttle's thrusters?
That explains the sophisticated sniffers we see that surround
the shuttle after a landing. I always thought the maneuvering
thrusters used something more benign.
Bob
|
| 903.4 | The Shuttle's RCS propellant is indeed nasty stuff. | PRAGMA::GRIFFIN | Dave Griffin | Tue Apr 26 1994 18:42 | 5 |
| "The orbiter's Orbital Maneuvering Subsystem (OMS) and Reaction
Control System (RCS) engines use monomethyl hydrazine as fuel and
nitrogen tetroxide as the oxidizer."
- dave
|
| 903.5 | | skylab.zko.dec.com::FISHER | Carp Diem : Fish the Day | Wed Apr 27 1994 13:15 | 7 |
| Note that during the landing of the ASTP (Apollo-Soyuz Test Project) Apollo
craft, some vents were left open and the air inside was slightly contaminated
with either MMH or NO4 (persumably not both, since they are hypergolic). In any
case, as I recall, Slayton, Stafford, and (???) were lucky to get out with only
fairly minor respiratory difficulties.
Burns
|
| 903.6 | more | LANDO::STONE | | Wed Apr 27 1994 13:57 | 13 |
| re:.5 Vance Brand had incorrectly set the cabin relief switches which
allowed for the N04 to enter the cabin. He actually passed out from
the fumes. Slayton was able to get supplimentary air masks under the
couches for each crew member. Upon arrival to the carrier each had
used O2 to clear themselves sufficiently to walk under their own power
and not reveil how sick they really were (they still had watery eyes
and runny noses, however). A side note is that during subsequent
examinations, a lung tumor was discovered in Slayton which was
successfully removed (the tumor was presumably unrelated to the
incident). Other bad experiences with NO4 was the errosion and
collapse of one of the parachutes for Apollo 15 and massive leak
at a Titan complex requiring evacuation of a neighboring town.
|