#Space shuttle endeavour weight drivers
#Space shuttle endeavour weight skin

When NASA's shuttles were retired, Endeavour was flown to California atop NASA's special Boeing 747 shuttle carrier in 2012, drawing crowds as it flew over locations in the state associated with the space program.Īfter landing at Los Angeles International Airport, the shuttle was placed on a special trailer and then created a sensation as it was inched through tight city streets to the California Science Center over several days. The 20-story-tall display will stand atop an 1,800-ton (1,633-metric ton) concrete slab supported by six so-called base isolators to protect Endeavour from earthquakes.Įndeavour was built as a replacement for the destroyed Space Shuttle Challenger and flew 25 missions between 19. Officials say it will be the first time the procedure has been done outside of a NASA facility. The segments, called aft skirts, had to be precisely positioned so that the entire assembly can be stacked properly. The tank will be restored before it joins Endeavour on display.Workers used a crane to hoist the bottom segments of the boosters into the California Science Center's future Samuel Oschin Air and Space Center, which is currently under construction in Exposition Park. The team dissected foam coating from parts of the tank, which explains why there are pieces of foam missing from ET-94. ET-94 is considered a lightweight tank, commonly used throughout the 1990s.ĮT-94 was delivered to NASA in January 2001 and, although it was never used in flight, investigators looking into the 2003 Columbia disaster examined the tank in search of possible problems that might have led to the re-entry breakup that killed seven crew members. NASA used three types of external tanks for the space shuttle program: standard weight, more advanced lightweight tanks and super lightweight tanks.

Most of the tank disintegrated in the atmosphere the rest splashed into the ocean. Its job was done about 8 1/2 minutes after launch when it was jettisoned from the shuttle.

#Space shuttle endeavour weight skin

The ET's skin was coated with polyisocyanurate foam, which protected the tank from heat and helped maintain the proper temperature for the propellants it contained. The external tank also provided structural support for the shuttles and booster rockets when they were upright on the launchpad. ET-94 is actually made up of three tanks: one for oxygen, another for hydrogen and a third collar-like intertank that connects the two others. The external tanks, which provided the shuttles with the propellants needed to enter space, were designed to detach from the shuttles and disintegrate as they plummeted back to Earth. The transport crew made headlines during the trip when crew members helped rescue four people who abandoned a sinking sportfishing boat off Baja, California. The US sees a drop in illegal border crossings after Mexico increases enforcement Two days later, it was tugged into the Gulf of Mexico to begin a sea voyage that took it through the Panama Canal. The rust-color tank, aka ET-94, began its monthlong journey to Los Angeles on April 10 when it was pulled out of NASA's Michoud Assembly Facility in Louisiana.

#Space shuttle endeavour weight drivers

Los Angeles police suggested drivers avoid several areas along the route due to temporary street closures. Trees will be trimmed and utility lines will be temporarily taken down for the move. That's longer than the shuttle, but not as wide, heavy or tall, when the tank is placed on its side. Eventually, booster rockets will be added to the exhibit.Įndeavour made its own celebrated trip on Los Angeles' streets to Exposition Park after a spectacular Southern California flyover on the back of a jumbo jet. The 15-story, 32 1/2-ton tank, never used in flight, is about half as along as a football field. The shuttle stack will be available for viewing next week. 'This will be the only place in the world where a whole space shuttle stack with real hardware will be available,' said Science Center President Jeffrey N. It was to join the Endeavour at museum's Samuel Oschin Air and Space Center. Limited to a top speed of 5 mph, the tank arrived just before the 7:30 p.m. The caravan traveled 15 miles from a dock in Marina del Rey down Lincoln and Culver boulevards, to Westchester Parkway, then through Inglewood on Arbor Vitae Street to La Brea Avenue, past the Forum, and north on Vermont Avenue to the museum. The lone remaining external fuel tank from NASA's space shuttle program began a slow ride across Los Angeles early Saturday and arrived 18 hours later at the California Science Center, where it will be on display with space shuttle Endeavour.