
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- In the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, this view from the opposite side of the VAB shows the area of the external fuel tank where the newly installed radius blocks to the tank's support beams known as "stringers" are being installed. The stringers are located near the intertank’s thrust panel area. The thrust panel is where the tank meets the two solid rocket boosters and sees the most stress during the flight into orbit. After the modifications and additional scans of the stringers are complete, foam insulation will be re-applied. Discovery's next launch opportunity to the International Space Station on the STS-133 mission is targeted for liftoff Feb. 24. For more information on STS-133, visit www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/sts133/. Photo credit: NASA/Jack Pfaller
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NASA ID
KSC-2011-1074
Date Created
January 13, 2011
Center
KSC
Media Type
image
Location
Kennedy Space Center, FL
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