UNO Engineering Department At NASA Receives FEMA Funds
Release Date: April 10, 2007
Release Number: 1603-621
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NEW ORLEANS, La. -- To help the University of New Orleans (UNO) continue the rebuilding process desperately needed after Hurricane Katrina, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) recently announced that additional funds have been obligated to the university.
When projects are obligated by FEMA, the funds are transferred to a Smartlink account. This allows the state to work with the Governor's Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness as quickly as possible to access the monies and distribute them to the local applicants. The state may require additional documentation from the applicant before disbursals are made.
These latest funds - totaling more than $1.25 million - will reimburse the university's engineering department for repairs to its friction stir welding machine, located at NASA's Michoud Assembly Facility on Old Gentilly Road in New Orleans East. A section of the UNO engineering department is housed at this facility, which is one of the largest manufacturing plants in the world.
The NASA-Michoud facility plays a major role at NASA. It has been chosen for the building of future crew launch vehicles and cargo launch vehicles. UNO's welding system is a state-of-the-art piece of equipment used, in part, to build external fuel tanks for NASA's space shuttles.
"UNO's friction stir weld machine is an important tool to the development of America's next generation human space flight systems," said Marion LaNasa, director of Communications for Lockheed Martin Space Systems, Michoud Operations. Michoud Operations designs and manufactures the external tank for NASA at the Michoud facility.
After Hurricane Katrina tore through the area, large amounts of rain caused extensive rust and corrosion damages to the mechanical and electrical systems of this high-tech welding machine. In addition to repairs, part of the funds recently obligated will go toward the costs associated with the intricate process of refurbishing, testing and reassembling the machine.
"It is extremely important to NASA's space exploration program that the friction stir welding machine be repaired as soon as possible in order to ensure on-time delivery of hardware by NASA's contractors," said Dr. Russell E. Tralhan, Jr., dean of the UNO College of Engineering. "We are very appreciative of FEMA's assistance in making repairs to the welding machine which will allow the National Center for Advanced Manufacturing to fulfill its important mission to the space program and the future of crew and cargo launch vehicles."
The Public Assistance program works with state and local officials to fund recovery measures and the rebuilding of government and certain private nonprofit organizations' buildings and recreation centers, as well as roads, bridges and water and sewer plants. In order for the process to be successful, federal, state and local partners coordinate to draw up project plans, fund these projects and oversee their completion.
FEMA coordinates the federal government's role in preparing for, preventing, mitigating the effects of, responding to, and recovering from all domestic disasters, whether natural or man-made, including acts of terror.
Last Modified: Tuesday, 10-Apr-2007 10:00:33