Historic NASA test towers face their final countdown

With less than a month to go until NASA attempts to send astronauts around the Moon, the agency is demolishing facilities that got it there the first time around. Twenty-five structures at Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama are slated for removal, with two test stands set for controlled implosion no earlier …

[VicMortimer]

Disgusting

It's absolutely disgusting that the tiny-fingered, ferret-wearing, cheeto-faced shitgibbon regime can destroy national historic landmarks like this.

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: Disgusting

Never fear, now that there's precedent, I'm sure big-fingerered, besuited, powder-faced ass monkeyes from the other party will use this to stop paying for even more structures in Alabama. The ones related to that spat in the early 1860's.

[Gene Cash]

Re: Disgusting

No, these are rusty old chunks of concrete and metal. I'm glad to see them go. They're single purpose and a waste of space and facilities budget.

They can't be used for anything and they were never intended to last any length of time.

It's like insisting SpaceX keep it's version 1.0 Starship pad because "it's historic"

[isdnip]

Re: Disgusting

A lot of history "can't be used for anything" except to showcase the past. Which is useful. But frankly it seems like the regime is more intent on destroying anything having to do with science, at least what the tech bros don't value. Science is the enemy when RFKJr is giving medical advice.

[Ken Hagan]

Re: Disgusting

There's a whole, assembled Saturn V and a shuttle on public view at the Donald J Trump (*) Space Center in Florida. Do we need the launchpad when we have examples of the thing that was launched?

(* It's only a matter of time, so I thought I'd use the new name now so that the post remains intelligible to future generations.)

[kmorwath]

Re: Disgusting

NASA should have painted them in gold and tell the T-Tower meant the Trump Tower....

[Spherical Cow]

Is there any legal protection from being designated as National Historic Landmarks, or is it just some words?

[Marty McFly]

A National Historic Landmark (NHL) can have its designation withdrawn (“dedesignated”) under the rules in 36 CFR § 65.9. It can happen only (1) at the owner’s request or (2) on the Secretary of the Interior’s initiative.

So the government's NHL protection only applies as long as the owner wants it. In this case the government holds both ends of the rope.

Frankly, as much as I would like to preserve these structures in a museum state, I don't want to spend tax dollars to do it. If a 3rd party entity was willing to put forth the funding, I would feel differently. From the looks of the picture in the article, a tetanus shot should be required before viewing. That is a lot of $$$ to fix.

[PhilipN]

Controlled implosion

Curious how to control an IMplosion. Explosives explode outwards - the clue is in the word?

[An_Old_Dog]

Re: Controlled implosion

Controlled demolitions use explosives to cut through the center supports of a structure so that the structure collapses inward.

(There's a hell of a lot more to it than that; I gave just a thumbnail explanation.)

[GBE]

Re: Controlled implosion

Controlled demolitions use explosives to cut through the center supports of a structure so that the structure collapses inward.

Right. It's gravitationally powered collapse in a (hopefully) predictable manner. Nothing is imploding. Imploding means that there's large pressure differential with high pressure outside and low pressure inside.

OceanGate's Titan submersible imploded.

Buildings being demolished just collapse when you cut their structural supports.

[vogon00]

Re: Controlled implosion

Ad-hoc building destruction : start with 1lb C4 and your initiator of choice inside the building, roughly centrally. Add a sack of flour (or a similar flammable dust, extra gasoline is optional but recommended) and set it off. C4 disperses the flour (+gas) internally, which then ignite and burn the nearby oxygen. 15psia air outside creates overpressure on the walls which collapse onwards.

Explosion leads to an implosion.

[Eclectic Man]

Re: Controlled implosion

start with 1lb C4 and your initiator of choice

I'll pass on that, if that is ok with you. My main interest in explosives is limited to watching decorative fireworks*.

I really do believe that serious explosives should only be handled and used by people who are both trained and competent. Although I do recall hearing a former UK bomb disposal officer stating that the IRA had a well specified and implemented build standard for their explosive devices during 'the Troubles' and their bombing campaign on the British mainland.

*As a young man, I really thought that 'The Anarchist's Cook Book' contained recipes for food, until I learnt better. - Hence the 'D'Oh' icon.

[Doctor Syntax]

Why aren't they being carefully disassembled and moved to a museum in Texas?

[herman]

Texans are not so stupid to move and rebuild blocks of concrete. Try Lake Havasu City Arizona instead.