spacetoday.net: NASA to enhance public safety around shuttle

Posted: Wed, Mar 23, 2005, 8:16 AM ET (1316 GMT)
STS-107: launch (NASA/KSC)

NASA shuttle managers said Tuesday that they are planning new measures to protect the public from the potential hazards of shuttle liftoffs and landings. At a briefing where the agency outlined the status of efforts to return the shuttle to flight, officials said they would direct the shuttle to land at the Kennedy Space Center only if the shuttle had no damage that could pose a risk to people on the ground. Otherwise, NASA would consider landing the shuttle at White Sands, New Mexico, which has been used for only one shuttle landing, STS-3 in 1982; a landing there is three to seven times safer for the public than KSC or Edwards Air Force Base. NASA will also limit the number of people who will view shuttle launches at KSC to 20,000-25,000 people. Shuttle officials said they are still planning to launch the shuttle on May 15, but will not know for certain for about a month if they can make that date.