Engineer killed on Endeavour launch pad

NASA reports that a worker was killed following a fall at Kennedy Space Centre's launch pad 39A this morning. United Space Alliance engineer James D. Vanover fell at around 11:40 GMT. "NASA emergency medical personnel responded, but they were unable to revive the man," the agency says. NASA has suspended work at the launch …

[Anonymous Coward]

Dude...

...not cool. Not cool at all.

Space is meant to be the dangerous bit, not doing stuff on the ground below.

Condolences.

[JaitcH]

Maintain your safety vigilance to the end

Reminds me of an old Army rule: Never hang your arms, etc., over the sides of a truck/lorry.

Not so long ago a group of soldiers were returning from a small skirmish in the back of a truck/lorry and some had their arms extended over the side of it to cool off.

A vehicle coming the other way side-swiped the military truck, injuring several soldiers. As a result several soldiers had their arms or hands or fingers amputated - after surviving a shooting battle!

[Thorsten]

No, it isn't

"Endeavour was named after a ship chartered to traverse the South Pacific in 1768 and captained by 18th century British explorer James Cook"

See: http://www.nasa.gov/centers/kennedy/shuttleoperations/orbiters/endeavour-info.html

[BraveOak]

no

you are thinking of Diversity, an old, old wooden ship that was used during the Civil War era

[Anonymous Coward]

Anonymous Bristolian

I hope this wasn't a workplace suicide like the one that really happened at Axa in Bristol last year.

[BraynDedd]

As tragic as this is

I can't help but wonder why he wasn't tethered to the platform. Surely that's standard safety practice?

[Neil Hoskins]

Come to think of it...

I wonder how they do risk assessment in the space programme... I really wouldn't know where to start. You're right, though: falls from height should just not happen in this day and age.

[Chris 211]

accidents will always happen...

Regardless of rules, regulations and all the H&S in the world.. Accidents will happen because humans are not perfect. I cringe when people say "we did X to ensure it will never happen again." Given time, it will. Humans tend to focus on the dangerous activities but not on the everyday normal ones. They relax and thats when it goes wrong.

[John Smith 19]

He almost made it.

They're less than six months to the end of the programme.

There are *many* hazardous chemicals used in and around the Shuttle. It's an odd way to die. That said some of those gantries are high and I suspect winds can be quite gusty.

No doubt the accident report will explain everything.