Crunch

September 9, 2003 4:52 PM

How not to move a satellite "As the NOAA-N Prime spacecraft was being repositioned from vertical to horizontal on the "turn over cart" at approximately 7:15 PDT today, it slipped off the fixture, causing severe damage."
posted by Mwongozi (19 comments total)

I would hate to be on the crew that dropped it.

Piss tests all around!
posted by mr_crash_davis at 4:59 PM on September 9, 2003

Lockheed Martin puts the the M in quality...

Ha ha ha, just a little defense industry humor.
posted by SweetJesus at 4:59 PM on September 9, 2003

sounds like a prior crew removed 24 bolts from the turnover cart without documenting the fact, and this crew didn't check to see if they were there.
posted by quonsar at 5:09 PM on September 9, 2003

That makes me feel much better about the server I've had to rebuild this evening out of sheer stupidity.
posted by machaus at 5:12 PM on September 9, 2003

It seems not unreasonable to use a piece of a equipment under the assumption that no idiots have half-disassembled it first.

And I say all this with no knowledge of, well, anything relevant. I assume a turnover cart is not some kind of dessert tray though.
posted by Foosnark at 5:13 PM on September 9, 2003

I can't even imagine how they must have felt in the moment when they realized it was going to fall.
posted by Nothing at 5:20 PM on September 9, 2003

"damn it all bob, i guess we're never going to get our hands on that huge government surplus.. we might as well face that fact."

*bolt removage*

"joe, it's all in the wrist."
posted by mrplab at 5:20 PM on September 9, 2003

I couldn't find a figure for the NOAA-N prime, but Lockheed's NOAA-M weather satellite is worth about $202 million (presskit, pdf).
posted by eddydamascene at 5:40 PM on September 9, 2003

Bah, it's just a small ding. Ship it!
posted by NewBornHippy at 5:49 PM on September 9, 2003

ehe - just a few pieces broken off, that's what duck tape was invented for. nice pic.
posted by carfilhiot at 6:00 PM on September 9, 2003

Seeing as it was Lockheed Martin who dropped it, someone should check that L-M were using the right socket set.
posted by bonehead at 6:04 PM on September 9, 2003

$202 million? Sounds like about a day in Baghdad.
posted by MAYORBOB at 6:22 PM on September 9, 2003

sheesh! give NOAA-N Prime a break. maybe he just wasn't in the mood.
posted by poopy at 6:36 PM on September 9, 2003

Always put things back where you find them. How many times do you have to be told.
posted by carter at 7:34 PM on September 9, 2003

for all we know, this is a terrorist act. go to condition fuscia.
posted by quonsar at 8:01 PM on September 9, 2003

Things like this (like not being Pete Best) make me happier with my lot in life.
posted by HTuttle at 8:43 PM on September 9, 2003

i will never feel bad about pulling a goof ever again in my life. i have saved the jpeg so i can look at it, in case i need remembering.

now that is how you make a stupid multi-million dollar mistake. wow.

10/10 for form
posted by shadow45 at 9:16 PM on September 9, 2003

Now I remember. THAT is why I prefer working on software instead of hardware. At least it should make a bitchin water pipe!
posted by Goofyy at 11:34 PM on September 9, 2003

No amount of sophisticated human ingenuity can counter simple human stupidity.

"Let's just unscrew the 24 bolts off this gazillion dollar piece of machinery - no need to bother letting the folks working on it know that we ain't putting them back on"
posted by magullo at 4:35 AM on September 10, 2003