New shuttle external tank ready
Posted: Wed, Dec 29, 2004, 9:09 AM ET (1409 GMT)
The first space shuttle external tank that incorporates improvements to avoid the foam shedding that doomed the shuttle Columbia is ready to ship to Florida, NASA announced Tuesday. The tank, designated ET-120, will leave the Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans on Friday, arriving by barge in Florida several days later. The tank features a number of safety improvements to prevent the tanks insulating foam from shedding during flight. A chunk of foam fell off a bipod strut on the tank during the launch of STS-107, striking and damaging a panel on the leading edge of Columbia's left wing; hot gas entered through the damaged panel during reentry, leading to the destruction of the orbiter. The improved tank has no foam on the bipod ramps, and also carried cameras to allow engineers to observe the tank's exterior during flight.
The first space shuttle external tank that incorporates improvements to avoid the foam shedding that doomed the shuttle Columbia is ready to ship to Florida, NASA announced Tuesday. The tank, designated ET-120, will leave the Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans on Friday, arriving by barge in Florida several days later. The tank features a number of safety improvements to prevent the tanks insulating foam from shedding during flight. A chunk of foam fell off a bipod strut on the tank during the launch of STS-107, striking and damaging a panel on the leading edge of Columbia's left wing; hot gas entered through the damaged panel during reentry, leading to the destruction of the orbiter. The improved tank has no foam on the bipod ramps, and also carried cameras to allow engineers to observe the tank's exterior during flight.
Related Links:
| <<previous article | next article>> |
|
news in brief
|
|
|
|
news links
|
|
Saturday, May 3
Terran Orbital Picked for $237M Space Force Contract
Orange County (CA) Business Journal — 9:45 am ET (1345 GMT) Army to Roll Out Enlisted Space Ops Specialty
US Dept. of Defense — 9:45 am ET (1345 GMT) Space Force isn’t Space Command, but it does have a Huntsville presence
Huntsville Times — 9:45 am ET (1345 GMT) Everything we know about the 3 people who want to run Starbase, Texas’ next city
Texas Tribune — 9:43 am ET (1343 GMT) SpaceX’s remote site on the Gulf coast is poised to become Texas’ newest city
CNN — 9:43 am ET (1343 GMT) |
