Kennedy Space Center reopens after Wilma

NASA's Kennedy Space Center and the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida have reopened for operations after the passage of Hurricane Wilma.

National Aeronautics and Space Administration officials said the impact of Hurricane Wilma on Kennedy facilities is being evaluated, but preliminary assessments indicate no damage to space flight hardware or NASA's space shuttle fleet.

Some Kennedy Space Center facilities sustained minor roof damage or interior water damage Monday night. The center's landmark Vehicle Assembly Building lost some panels on its east and west sides, and some facilities were still without power Thursday.

NASA said Wilma dropped 13.6 inches of rain at Kennedy's Space Shuttle Landing Facility, with winds gusting to 94 mph.

The maximum sustained wind at the space center was 76 mph at the top of a 492-foot weather tower north of the Vehicle Assembly Building.

Copyright 2005 by United Press International