KSC-04pd2130
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - After being lowered from its cell in the Vehicle Assembly Building, External Tank 118 (ET-118) is suspended above the transfer aisle before being placed on the transporter at left. The tank will be transferred to NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans. The tank is being installed with an improved bipod fitting, which connects the external fuel tank to the Shuttle during launch. The new design, a significant milestone in the effort to return the Shuttle to safe flight, replaces the foam that was used to prevent ice buildup on the tank’s bipod fittings with four rod-shaped heaters. The heaters are being retrofitted on the 11 existing tanks and incorporated into the manufacture of all new tanks.
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Details
NASA ID
KSC-04pd2130
Date Created
October 14, 2004
Center
KSC
Media Type
image
Location
Kennedy Space Center, FL
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