spacetoday.net: New shuttle external tank ready

Posted: Wed, Dec 29, 2004, 9:09 AM ET (1409 GMT)
Shuttle external tank under construction (J. Foust)

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.