![]() ![]() Three of the Endeavour's crew members, two Americans and one Russian, will remain in orbit onboard the international space station. "We're satisfied that the necessary precautions have taken place or we wouldn't launch," said Ron Dittemore, the agency's shuttle program manager. Not this time.Īmid the signs of heightened alert, NASA expressed confidence that the launch would take place without a hitch. Traditionally, many onlookers watch launches from roads and causeways along the NASA property. Land restrictions will be in effect as well. Usually maritime traffic is prohibited in a safety zone about three miles wide off the Cape Canaveral coast.įor this launch, beginning three hours before blast off, the forbidden zone will extend 60 miles from Kennedy Space Center. ET, will face major restrictions as well. The Orlando airport will remain open to commercial flights but the planes must fly in a tightened corridor away from the launch area.īoaters hoping to catch a glimpse of the picturesque evening launch, scheduled for 7:41 p.m. A handful of airports near the space center will be closed. Beginning hours before dawn, a no-fly zone will extend 30 miles from the Endeavour launch pad. The launch precautions are unprecedented. While no specific threat was mentioned, Dick noted that some of the persons identified by the FBI as September 11 terrorists had lived and trained in Florida. In the wake of the September 11 attacks, the Bush administration authorized the military to shoot down any hijacked airplane that could be used in a terrorist act. ![]() When asked about specifics, he referred reporters to the public statements of U.S. Samuel Dick, the Air Force officer responsible for launch security, on Wednesday.ĭick, based at nearby Patrick Air Force Base, declined to discuss details about the plan to protect the mission, such as conditions whereby military personnel might use lethal force to stop potential terrorists. The force would be able to "shoo away the innocent and bring down the hostile," said Col. CNN's Miles O'Brien reports NASA is taking extreme measures to ensure safety for the upcoming launch of the space shuttle (November 29) ![]()
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