Year: 2003
Location: Sunnyvale, California
Company: Lockheed Martin Space Systems
Estimated Damage Value: $135 million*
Satellites might look like big, inelegant hunks of metal, but they’re complex pieces of machinery that take a ton of money and expertise to make. So, when one gets knocked over, it’s not a case of simply sticking it back together with glue.
Back in 2003, workers at Lockheed Martin Space Systems in Sunnyvale were moving the Noaa-N Prime Satellite to a different position when it fell off of its plate and onto the floor, causing $135 million in damages. Why? Someone forgot to secure it with the required 24 bolts prior to lifting it.
Flippant, Comic, and Serious 