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	Interactive Space Shuttle: The External Tank
		Almost nine minutes after the shuttle is launched, the empty external tank separates from the orbiter at the edge of the Earth atmosphere.
		The introduction of the external tank came as a compromise that allowed engineers to significantly reduce the shuttle development costs, while at the same time preserving all the expensive hardware, such as engines and flight-control computers, aboard the reusable orbiter.
		At the Cape, the external tank is transported into the Vertical Assembly Building where it is attached in a suspended position between two solid-fuel rocket boosters previously assembled on a movable launch platform.
	www.space.com /news/spaceshuttles/interactive_sts_externaltank.html (545 words)

	Space Shuttle external tank - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
		This tank was used for the majority of the Shuttle flights, and was last used on the ill-fated STS-107 Space Shuttle Columbia flight.
		The contractor for the external tank is Lockheed Martin (previously Martin Marietta), New Orleans, Louisiana.
		The tank is manufactured at the Michoud Assembly Facility, New Orleans, and is transported to Kennedy Space Center by a barge.
	en.wikipedia.org /wiki/Space_Shuttle_external_tank (2804 words)

	THE STS (SPACE TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM) - THE EXTERNAL FUEL TANK
		The external tank is 47 meters (154.2 feet) long and has a diameter of 8.38 meters (27.5 feet).
		The external tank contains the liquid hydrogen fuel and liquid oxygen oxidizer and supplies them under pressure to the three space shuttle main engines in the orbiter during lift-off and ascent.
		The liquid hydrogen tank is an aluminum semimonocoque structure of fusion-welded barrel sections, five major ring frames, and forward and aft ellipsoidal domes.
	www.space-shuttle.com /tank.htm (533 words)

	STS-99 Detail Page for Reference: Space Shuttle External Tank
		The largest and heaviest (when loaded) element of the space shuttle, the ET has three major components: the forward liquid oxygen tank, an unpressurized intertank that contains most of the electrical components, and the aft liquid hydrogen tank.
		Thermal isolators are required for liquid hydrogen tank attachments to preclude the liquefaction of air-exposed metallic attachments and to reduce heat flow into the liquid hydrogen.
		The contractor for the external tank is Martin Marietta Aero space, New Orleans, La. The tank is manufactured at Michoud, La. Motorola, Inc., Scottsdale, Ariz., is the contractor for range safety receivers.
	www.shuttlepresskit.com /STS-99/REF112.htm (1241 words)

	Orbit 6 - Space Technology and Fiction
		America's ability to respond to the many space opportunities on the horizon of research, commercialization and planetary science depend on the resiliency of the space transportation system, and especially on the use of the external tank in space.
		The external tank is carried into low Earth orbit where the oxygen tank-intertank subassembly is separated from the hydrogen tank, berthed to Space Station Freedom and the subassembly outfitted as a 12-person lunar habitat using extravehicular activity (EVA) and intravehicular activity (IVA).
		The Space Shuttle external tank, which consists of a liquid oxygen tank, an intertank structure, and a liquid hydrogen tank, is an expendable structure used for approximately 8.5 min during each launch.
	www.orbit6.com /et/et_abstr.htm (2256 words)

	Shuttle's external throwaway tank -- using it
		NASA has offered to deliver the tank to orbit for free, but at the same time has pointed out a number of complications and costs involved to the Shuttle program and established understandable conditions for delivery, mainly for a third party to be waiting to collect it for at least safety reasons.
		NASA is not willing to devote much shuttle astronaut time or resources on behalf of the tank client, and any client requests to the manufacturer of the tank to redesign the tank must not entail any risk to the mission at all, i.e., probably no significant redesigns of the tank will be acceptable.
		Out of all the creative ideas on how to use the external tank, one of the most interesting concepts is to fill the external tank with the desired floors, desks, etc., on the ground before filling it with fuel.
	www.permanent.com /ext-tank.htm (1882 words)

	ScienceDaily: NASA Takes Delivery of 100th Space Shuttle External Tank
		High-tech Testing Of The Space Shuttle's Foam (March 8, 2006) -- The spray-on foam that insulates and protects the space shuttle's super-cold external fuel tank is applied in thin layers.
		Space exploration -- Space exploration is the physical exploration of outer space objects and generally anything that involves the technologies, science, and politics regarding space...
		Space suit -- A space suit is a complex system of garments and equipment and environmental systems designed to keep a person alive and comfortable in the harsh environment of outer...
	www.sciencedaily.com /releases/1999/08/990816193701.htm (1707 words)

	The Only Throwaway Component on the Space Shuttle: The External Fuel Tank
		The external fuel tank is the only piece of hardware that is not reused and burns up in the atmosphere and falls into the ocean after it is jettisoned from the orbiter.
		According to Damon (1995), “The external tank (ET) serves two purposes: it carries the propellants for the orbiter’s three main rocket engines and it is the support structure that connects the orbiter and solid rocket boosters (SRBs) together during ascent to orbit” (p.
		The tank is on schedule for delivery to NASA in January 1998 in support of the May 1998 launch of Space Shuttle mission STS-91, the final scheduled Shuttle/Mir docking mission concluding the joint U.S./Russian Phase 1 Program” (Nead, 1997, p.1).
	members.tripod.com /~AeroMaster/paper1.htm (4636 words)

	BBSNews - NASA SHIPS EXTERNAL FUEL TANK FOR NEXT SPACE SHUTTLE MISSION (Site not responding. Last check: 2007-11-02)
		The ramps were on the tank to protect a cable tray and two pressurization oxygen and hydrogen lines during the dynamic portion of launch, which includes liftoff through about the first three minutes of the climb to orbit.
		There are two PAL ramps on the external tank, one at the top of the liquid oxygen portion of the tank, which is 14 feet long and consists of 14 pounds of foam.
		As a result, the Space Shuttle Program determined the PAL ramps were not necessary and it would be a safety improvement to fly the remaining shuttle missions without the ramps on the tank.
	bbsnews.net /article.php/2006022513381743 (855 words)

	The Space Shuttle Clickable Map: Space Shuttle External Tank (Site not responding. Last check: 2007-11-02)
		The ET is the structural backbone of the Shuttle system and absorbs the total 6,610,000-pound thrust loads generated by the orbiter's three main engines and two solid rocket boosters.
		The tank is non-reusable, and must be produced economically in quantities needed to meet the frequency of Shuttle flight.
		The ET is actually three components in one: a liquid oxygen tank located in the forward position; a liquid hydrogen tank located aft; and an intertank assembly that connects the two propellant tanks and houses the forward solid rocket booster attachment points.
	www.seds.org /~ssa/docs/Space.Shuttle/et.shtml (435 words)

	STS-101 Detail Page for Reference: Space Shuttle External Tank
		The tank feeds into a 17-inch-diameter feed line that conveys the liquid oxygen through the intertank, then outside the ET to the aft right-hand ET/orbiter disconnect umbilical.
		At the forward end of the liquid hydrogen tank is the ET/orbiter forward attachment pod strut, and at its aft end are the two ET/orbiter aft attachment ball fittings as well as the aft SRB/ET stabilizing strut attachments.
		A swing-arm-mounted cap to the fixed service structure covers the oxygen tank vent on top of the ET during the countdown and is retracted about two minutes before lift-off.
	www.shuttlepresskit.com /STS-101/REF121.htm (1227 words)

	THE SPACE SHUTTLE PROGRAM \| NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION NASA \| ASTRONAUTS.
		Further aggravating the shuttle's return to space, also in August 2005 the Space Shuttle external tank construction site, Michoud Assembly Facility located in New Orleans, Louisiana was damaged by Hurricane Katrina, with all work shifts cancelled up to September 26, 2005.
		The Space Shuttle consists of three main components: the reusable Orbiter itself, a large, brown, expendable external fuel tank, and a pair of white, reusable solid-fuel booster rockets.
		Another consideration for future manned space flight is to pursue the construction and operation of "space planes", which could fly up to the edge of the atmosphere and then rocket out into Earth orbit, thereby being more efficient and versatile than such vehicles as the space shuttle.
	www.solarnavigator.net /aviation_and_space_travel/space_shuttle.htm (5159 words)

	Space Island Group - - Geode Stations
		The idea of using the large external fuel tanks of the shuttle as platforms in space has been around since the conception of the shuttle and possibly the most researched single space aerospace concept ever.
		The main change of the retrofitted Shuttle external tanks will be the addition of an extra section to the ET's lower fuselage and interior redesigns to permit easy retrofitting for human habitation.
		Space Island Group is developing the project independently of NASA, but using proven space technology, and many of Aerospace and NASA engineers, who helped to developed the ET.
	www.spaceislandgroup.com /geode-history.html (549 words)

	Spaceflight Now \| STS-114 Shuttle Report \| Space shuttle external tank begins journey to launch
		Modifications to the tank address the Columbia Accident Investigation Board's recommendation to reduce the risk to the Shuttle from falling debris during ascent.
		External Tank 120 is loaded onto its covered barge at Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans for shipment to KSC.
		Returning the Shuttle to flight is the first step in the Vision for Space Exploration, which calls for a stepping stone strategy of human and robotic missions to achieve new exploration goals.
	www.spaceflightnow.com /shuttle/sts114/041231tank (782 words)

	CNN.com - Columbia probe seeks better monitoring - Jul. 30, 2003
		The large external tank holds the fuel the shuttle uses during its 8.5-minute ride into space.
		After the tank is depleted, it is ejected and disintegrates as it falls to the ocean.
		Almost all shuttle flights will now go to the international space station, and NASA is already examining using the existing cameras on the space station to take photos of the shuttle before it docks.
	www.cnn.com /2003/TECH/space/07/30/sprj.colu.columbia.probe/index.html (487 words)

	Cape Canaveral Rocket and Missile Programs:
		In 1979, even before a Space Shuttle had completed a space flight, NASA issued a directive that ET's be lightened by at least 6,000 pounds so that Space Shuttles would be able to carry proportionally heavier payloads.
		The liquid oxygen tank is connected to the liquid hydrogen tank by an intertank, which is located in between the other two.
		This foam insulation is intended to reduce ice or frost formation on the tank, which could both increase the weight of the ET and become hazardous to the Space Shuttle during launch.
	www.spaceline.org /rocketsum/external-tank.html (1098 words)

	Shuttle's fuel tank passes aerodynamic review - space-shuttle - 08 June 2006 - New Scientist Space
		NASA officially cleared the space shuttle's external tank on Wednesday for its next launch in July.
		The decision cam after shuttle managers had met to discuss the new aerodynamic loads the tank is expected to experience during lift-off, given the changes made to foam insulation covering the tank.
		Each bolt, bracket and cable analysed on the outside of the tank has at least 140% of the strength needed to withstand the strongest forces it is expected to experience on launch.
	www.newscientistspace.com /channel/space-tech/space-shuttle/dn9298 (514 words)

	51-L
		As the flame plume increased in size, it was deflected rearward by the aerodynamic slipstream and circumferentially by the protruding structure of the upper ring attaching the booster to the External Tank.
		Within 45 milliseconds of the breach of the External Tank, a bright sustained glow developed on the fl-tiled underside of the Challenger between it and the External Tank.
		This was the beginning of the structural failure of hydrogen tank that culminated in the entire aft dome dropping away.
	science.ksc.nasa.gov /shuttle/missions/51-l/mission-51-l.html (1602 words)

	USATODAY.com - NASA plans to remove problematic foam (Site not responding. Last check: 2007-11-02)
		NASA had redesigned the fuel tank after a large piece of insulating foam hit the wing of the shuttle Columbia in 2003, sparking the disaster that killed seven astronauts.
		The shuttle fleet was grounded after that and again after Discovery's launch last July when a smaller piece of foam broke off that shuttle's tank despite the redesign.
		The space agency needs to fly its aging shuttles 19 more times to finish construction of the international space station before the shuttle fleet is retired in 2010.
	www.usatoday.com /tech/science/space/2005-12-15-nasa-foam-removal_x.htm (463 words)

	NASA takes delivery of 100th space shuttle external tank
		The largest single piece of the Space Shuttle, it must carry the stresses of the Shuttle and the solid-rocket boosters attached to it during launch.
		Machined from aluminum alloys, the tank is the only part of the Shuttle that is not reused.
		After the initial three Shuttle flights, NASA determined 600 pounds could be shaved from the tank's launch weight by no longer coating the tank in white latex paint.
	www.eurekalert.org /pub_releases/1999-08/NSFC-Ntdo-160899.php (401 words)

	collectSPACE - the collection - External Tank Insulation Foam
		The largest and heaviest (when loaded) element of the space shuttle, the external tank (ET) supplies the liquid hydrogen fuel and liquid oxygen oxidizer under pressure to the three main engines during lift-off and ascent.
		The insulation allows the ET to withstand the extreme internal and external temperatures generated during prelaunch, launch and flight.
		The entire outer surface of the external tank is insulated with a half inch thick cork/epoxy layer covered with 1 to 2 inches of spray-on foam, as can be seen in the cross section ET segment pictured above.
	www.collectspace.com /collection/hardware-sts-et.html (169 words)

	SPACE.com -- Shuttle's Next External Tank Near-fit to Fly
		The improved tank is expected to fly with the space shuttle Discovery as part of STS-114 between May and June of 2005.
		ET 120 is designed to prevent the type of foam loss during launch that doomed the space shuttle Columbia and its seven-astronaut crew.
		Tank engineers have also revised their foam application in areas known from past launched to shed ice and insulating material.
	www.space.com /missionlaunches/rtf_tank_041228.html (647 words)

	Spaceflight Now \| STS-121 Shuttle Report \| Space shuttle external tank fixes appear sound
		During Discovery's launching last year, a one-pound chunk of foam broke away from the tank's hydrogen PAL ramp and while it didn't hit the orbiter, it was a major surprise and source of concern.
		Engineers have long suspected that changes in the tank's temperature as supercold propellants are drained by the shuttle's main engines plays a role in foam failure, especially in areas where foam is applied on top of other foam.
		Shuttle program manager Wayne Hale, meanwhile, gave engineers permission to press ahead with work to attach the next external tank to a set of boosters at the Kennedy Space Center.
	www.spaceflightnow.com /shuttle/sts121/060705tank (1666 words)

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