
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - In NASA Kennedy Space Center's Vehicle Assembly Building, workers are attaching a crane to the newly delivered external tank, which is resting on a transporter in the transfer aisle. Designated ET-119, the 154-foot tank will be raised to vertical and lifted into a checkout cell for further work. The tank, which will launch space shuttle Discovery on mission STS-121, will fly with many major safety changes, including the removal of the protuberance air load ramps. A large piece of foam from a ramp came off during the last shuttle launch in July 2005. The ramps were removed to eliminate a potential source of damaging debris to the space shuttle. The next launch of Discovery is scheduled for May 2006. Photo credit: NASA/Jim Grossmann
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NASA ID
KSC-06pd0418
Date Created
March 2, 2006
Center
KSC
Media Type
image
Location
Kennedy Space Center, FL
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