NASA is preparing to demolish historic buildings

The US space agency announced that work is underway to demolish three structures associated with the history of human spaceflight at the Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsvill, Alabama.

NASA: liquidation of structures unused for many years will save funds

It started in mid-December demolishing the Neutral Buoyancy Simulator (Neutral Buoyancy Simulator), built in the late 1960s. It was here that NASA astronauts exercised in conditions imitating weightlessness. Various space devices were also tested here in underwater conditions and servicing of the Hubble Space Telescope was practiced. The simulator was closed in 1997 when it was replaced by a new, larger one at the Johnson Space Center in Houston.

Two more structures are scheduled for demolition: Propulsion and Design Test Facility (Propulsion and Structural Test Facility) and Dynamic Test Facility. The carefully planned implosion will take place no earlier than January 10.

All of these structures played a key role in helping humans reach the Moon, low Earth orbit and beyond. For example, the Dynamic Test Stand, built in 1964, was used to test fully assembled Saturn V rockets. In 1978, engineers integrated all the components of the Space Shuttle here for the first time. The facility was last used in the early 2000s to test microgravity.

Propulsion and Design Test Facility, also known by its unofficial name “T-tower” (from its shape), built in 1957. NASA received it from the US Army Ballistic Missile Agency in 1960. Elements of Saturn launch vehicles and shuttle auxiliary engines were tested here. The facility was last used in the 1990s.

NASA indicates that subsiding structures that have not been used for many years will save funds. Moreover, these buildings were already structurally unsafe.

National monuments

The buildings have had the status of national monuments since 1985 due to their importance in the history of manned spaceflight. The Library of Congress's History of American Engineering section archives architectural records, written histories, and large-format photographs. Additionally, high-resolution digital models of each structure were created in partnership with Auburn University, using technologies such as LiDAR and 360-degree photography. Selected items were donated to the U.S. Space and Rocket Center to remain available for educational purposes.

The demolition of the above-mentioned infrastructure is part of a larger project started in 2022, concerning no longer used buildings and laboratories. A total of 25 obsolete structures will be removed and the Marshall Space Flight Center area will undergo modernization. (PAP)

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