Space Shuttle external tank
The Space Shuttle external tank (ET) was the component of the Space Shuttle launch vehicle that contained the liquid hydrogen fuel and liquid oxygen oxidizer. During lift-off and ascent it supplied the fuel and oxidizer under pressure to the three RS-25 main engines in the orbiter. The ET was jettisoned just over 10 seconds after main engine cut-off (MECO) and it re-entered the Earth's atmosphere. Unlike the Solid Rocket Boosters, external tanks were not re-used. They broke up before impact in the Indian Ocean (or Pacific Ocean in the case of direct-insertion launch trajectories), away from shipping lanes and were not recovered.
External tank No. 124 is lowered into high bay 1 of the Vehicle Assembly Building prior to attachment of the solid rocket boosters for mission STS-117. | |
| Manufacturer | NASA Michoud Assembly Facility, contractor: Martin Marietta, later Lockheed Martin |
|---|---|
| Country of origin | United States |
| Used on | Space Shuttle |
| General characteristics | |
| Height | 46.9 m (153.8 ft) |
| Diameter | 8.4 m (27.6 ft) |
| Gross mass | 760,000 kg (1,680,000 lb) |
| Space Shuttle ET | |
| Powered by | 3 RS-25 mounted on the orbiter |
| Maximum thrust | 1,254,000 lbf (5,580 kN) |
| Burn time | 510 s |
| Propellant | LH2/LOX |
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