Was the NOAA-N Prime satellite really dropped on the floor?

It’s a rather disturbing image once you think about it for more than about half a second. Did it really happen? What consequences is it going to have for the mission?

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Yes, it really happened.

It took place at the Lockheed Martin Space Systems factory in Sunnyvale, California. As the team was turning the satellite into a horizontal position, they found out that the twenty-four bolts that were supposed to hold it in place had been removed by a technician - and the action was never documented.