Emergencies and World Disasters
The Day NASA's Tank Bought a Sailor a House: Storm, Lawsuit, Prize
21 min•29 juli 2026
Om avsnittet
The Day NASA's Tank Bought a Sailor a House: Storm, Lawsuit, Prize
A hurricane in November 1994 turned an ordinary tanker crew into rescuers of a Space Shuttle external fuel tank roughly fifteen stories tall and worth tens of millions of dollars - and that decision led to a court award larger than NASA’s initial offer. How did a tanker’s risk in Hurricane Gordon become a legal fight that ended with at least one sailor buying a house?
In this episode, we follow the November 1994 Atlantic incident involving a barge carrying an external Shuttle fuel tank, the nearby oil tanker Cherry Valley that towed the tug and cargo to safety during Hurricane Gordon, and the ensuing admiralty claim that challenged NASA’s five million dollar salvage offer - what did the courts ultimately decide about the value of that rescue?
Person: NASA
Date: November 1994
Location: Atlantic Ocean
Event: Hurricane Gordon towing and salvage
Status: Court award exceeded NASA’s five million dollar offer
- The external Space Shuttle fuel tank was roughly fifteen stories tall when upright.
- The tank was designed to feed 2.5 million pounds of liquid propellant into the shuttle’s main engines.
- The International Salvage Convention of 1989 entered into force on July 14, 1996.
- The SCOPIC clause became standard industry practice by the year 2000.
- NASA’s initial salvage offer for the rescued tank was five million dollars.
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© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: [email protected].
A hurricane in November 1994 turned an ordinary tanker crew into rescuers of a Space Shuttle external fuel tank roughly fifteen stories tall and worth tens of millions of dollars - and that decision led to a court award larger than NASA’s initial offer. How did a tanker’s risk in Hurricane Gordon become a legal fight that ended with at least one sailor buying a house?
In this episode, we follow the November 1994 Atlantic incident involving a barge carrying an external Shuttle fuel tank, the nearby oil tanker Cherry Valley that towed the tug and cargo to safety during Hurricane Gordon, and the ensuing admiralty claim that challenged NASA’s five million dollar salvage offer - what did the courts ultimately decide about the value of that rescue?
Person: NASA
Date: November 1994
Location: Atlantic Ocean
Event: Hurricane Gordon towing and salvage
Status: Court award exceeded NASA’s five million dollar offer
- The external Space Shuttle fuel tank was roughly fifteen stories tall when upright.
- The tank was designed to feed 2.5 million pounds of liquid propellant into the shuttle’s main engines.
- The International Salvage Convention of 1989 entered into force on July 14, 1996.
- The SCOPIC clause became standard industry practice by the year 2000.
- NASA’s initial salvage offer for the rescued tank was five million dollars.
To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.
© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: [email protected].
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