KSC reopens after water main break, Discovery rollover delayed

Water has been restored and second shift employees are now working at the Kennedy Space Center. 

A major pipe break in the heart of Launch Complex 39 forced the shutdown of the center.

Afternoon employees began their shift as normal just after 2 p.m.  The leak was isolated and water service returned to the center.
 
Officials said they shut things down for safety reasons. Water is essential for drinking, bathrooms and sprinkler systems.

“A 24-inch pipe broke, and it caused enough of a water pressure drop that it affected the entire center,” said Allard Beutel from KSC NASA Public Affairs.
 
Those trying to get access to the building were greeted with a sign on the door at the Kennedy Space Center Badging Office that read “Closed, no water.”

Workers were able to get on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station property, which was not affected by the broken pipe.

Only essential personnel were allowed to stay at KSC. They were instructed not to drink any water.

Water service has not been restored to the press site or OSB2, which is the administration building. Both essentially are the closest to the broken pipe.
  
Officials are still looking into the cause of the break.
 
For now, employees will be drinking bottled water until the problem is solved.

The KSC Visitor Complex was closed due to the leak as a precaution. It will reopen at 9 a.m. Thursday.
 
The U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame, which is about five miles from KSC property, was not affected.

The water main break delayed the Discovery rollover that was scheduled for Wednesday.

Discovery will now be rolled over from its processing center to the Vehicle Assembly Building at 6:30 a.m. Thursday.

A rollover is what NASA calls the short trip from the shuttle hangar -- technically called the Orbiter Processing Facility, or OPF -- to the Vehicle Assembly Building, where the orbiter will be mated to its external fuel tank and Solid Rocket Boosters for its rollout to the launch pad.

The delay should not affect STS-133’s scheduled launch date of Nov. 1, which is to be Discovery’s last flight.

Unless Congress adds another mission, only one more flight is scheduled after STS-133.

Discovery’s previous mission was STS-131 in April. 

NASA and the Smithsonian Air & Space magazine put together a time-lapse video of the rollover, mating with the external tank and SRBs, rollout and launch of STS-131.

The whole six weeks was condensed into just under four minutes. You can see it here.