Space Shuttle External Fuel Tank Milestone | Aero-News Network
Aero-News Network
RSS icon RSS feed
podcast icon MP3 podcast
Subscribe Aero-News e-mail Newsletter Subscribe

Airborne Unlimited -- Most Recent Daily Episodes

Episode Date

Airborne-Monday

Airborne-Tuesday

Airborne-Wednesday Airborne-Thursday

Airborne-Friday

Airborne On YouTube

Airborne-Unlimited-02.03.25

Airborne-NextGen-02.04.25

Airborne-Unlimited-02.05.25

Airborne-FlightTraining-02.06.25

Airborne-Unlimited-02.07.25

Wed, Sep 15, 2004

Space Shuttle External Fuel Tank Milestone

Tank Slated To Fly Next Spring Ready For Foam Spray On Intertank

Workers at Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans (LA) have transferred External Tank 120 -- the Space Shuttle External Tank slated for the launch of the orbiter Discovery next spring -- into the facility's vehicle assembly building.

The tank is erected vertically so that foam insulation can be applied on the liquid hydrogen tank-to-intertank flange area, a tank structural connection point. The foam will be applied with an enhanced finishing procedure that requires two technicians, a new mold-injection procedure to the intertank's ribbing and real-time videotaped surveillance of the process.

The foam was removed from all existing tanks when the intertank area was identified as a potential debris-shedding source following the loss of the Space Shuttle Columbia and her crew on Feb. 1, 2003. The move -- a major step toward returning the Space Shuttle to flight -- brings the tank one step closer to its eventual transfer to the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

FMI: www.returntoflight.org


Advertisement

More News

ANN's Daily Aero-Term (02.06.25): Decision Altitude (DA)

Decision Altitude (DA) A specified altitude (mean sea level (MSL)) on an instrument approach procedure (ILS, GLS, vertically guided RNAV) at which the pilot must decide whether to >[...]

ANN's Daily Aero-Linx (02.06.25)

Aero Linx: Air Safety Group The Air Safety Group is a voluntary group founded in England in 1964. It is composed of aviation professionals who hold the view that there have been, a>[...]

Airborne-NextGen 02.04.25: Dream Chaser, Drone Pilot Busted, Asteroid Samples

Also: New Acting FAA Boss, Matternet M2 Drone Ops, Serbian Midnights, NOTAM Foulup Sierra Space announced that its Dream Chaser spaceplane successfully completed the Joint Test 10B>[...]

Airborne 02.05.25: No Outs 4 ATC, Sporty's Acquires, 'Black' Boxes

Also: NOTAM System Restored, Textron Mil Trainers, Axiom Space, Police Rescues Cirrus Pax The Trump administration’s attempt at downsizing the federal workforce has run into >[...]

Airborne 02.03.25: Drone Pilot Bust, New Acting FAA Boss, PNE Lear Accident

Also: 2 Blimps For OSH, USCG-Airbus Deal, Japan Buys T-6s, Starliner Boss Replaced A 56-year-old California man recently pled guilty after he flew his drone into a Super Scooper fi>[...]

blog comments powered by Disqus



Advertisement

Advertisement

Podcasts

Advertisement

© 2007 - 2025 Web Development & Design by Pauli Systems, LC