NASA's Johnson Space Center Recovering From Hurricane Ike...

NASA’s Johnson Space Center managed to hold strong during its encounter with Hurricane Ike. The announcement was given by Houston’s emergency management officials.

The damage is considered minimal, with a bit of Mission Control’s roof ripped off, some minor cosmetic damage to the Center’s buildings, a few fallen tree limbs and also some lamp poles down.

The space center’s generators have been running since 5 a.m. Saturday, as the power was cut off earlier. Its officials analyzed the upcoming situation and sent its flight control operators to Austin and Huntsville, Alabama, in order to handle the operations remotely and make sure that the connection with the International Space Station will not be disturbed.

The incident led to the delay of a cargo shipment which was supposed to dock at the ISS. The decision was taken by both Russian and U.S. space agencies and the mission will be carried out next Wednesday, four days later than scheduled.

"Apparently our American partners have some technical concerns, and of course spaceships are not this kind of area where you should rely on the off-chance. So, it's better to ensure ourselves against any risks," explained Valery Lyndin, spokesman for Russia's Mission Control.

NASA also addressed the issue on its official Web site, stating that if the center is not restored to its full capacity, one of its other facilities will be handling the station’s systems. The shipment will deliver food, water, fuel and also gifts from the crew’s relatives. It will also include a new fully computerized space suit.