On April 12, NASA’s last space shuttle external tank will embark on a journey to the California Science Center in Los Angeles. Its final mission is to commemorate past achievements in space, educate, and inspire future generations of explorers at the California Science Center.
ET-94, a lightweight version of the external tank, measures approximately 154 feet long and 27.5 feet in diameter and weighs about 69,000 pounds. The external tank served as the structural backbone of the space shuttle and was designed to absorb and distribute over 7 million pounds of thrust generated at launch. It also fed liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen to the space shuttle main engines mounted on the shuttle’s orbiter.
ET-94 was designated a test article for the Space Shuttle Program in order to validate processes and procedures prior to performing the work on the next flight article. ET-94 was a vital part of NASA’s ability to return flight and is a testament to the ingenuity and can-do spirit of the external tank team.
The Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans, NASA’s only large-scale manufacturing facility, manufactured 138 ET’s during the Space Shuttle Program. The external tank was managed by Lockheed Martin for NASA. Michoud is managed by the George C. Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama.
Janet Anderson
Marshall Space Flight Center/
Michoud Assembly Facility
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