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Monster Media 1996 #14
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Monster Media No. 14 (April 1996) (Monster Media, Inc.).ISO
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From NASANews@luna.osf.hq.nasa.govThu Feb 1 19:29:58 1996
Date: Thu, 1 Feb 1996 13:30:56 -0500
From: NASA HQ Public Affairs Office <NASANews@luna.osf.hq.nasa.gov>
To: press-release-com@mercury.hq.nasa.gov
Subject: Super Lightweight External Tank Certification Testing to
Begin
Ed Campion
Headquarters, Washington, DC February 1, 1996
(Phone: 202/358-1778)
June Malone
Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, AL
(Phone: 205/544-7061)
RELEASE: 96-20
SUPER LIGHTWEIGHT EXTERNAL TANK CERTIFICATION TESTING TO BEGIN
A new super lightweight external tank for the Space
Shuttle took an important first step toward flight today
with the arrival of a special test article at NASA's
Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, AL.
The Aluminum Lithium Test Article arrived at Marshall
by barge for testing at the Center's Structural and Dynamic
Test Stand. Over the next six months, the test article
will undergo pressure and other tests to simulate the
launch environment to verify the structural design of the tank.
"This is a significant milestone for the Super
Lightweight Tank program," said External Tank Project
Manager Parker Counts. "We're excited about testing the
special segment at Marshall and making a significant move
toward flight certification and eventual first flight."
While the test article is only 40 feet long, compared
to the 154 feet of an external tank, its diameter of 27
feet is the same. It also includes a new structural design
that will be incorporated in the new super lightweight
tank. The test article is essentially a modified segment
of the aluminum lithium liquid hydrogen tank with a liquid
oxygen tank dome at one end. The special test segment
replicates design enhancements that are built into all four
of the sections that will make up the new liquid hydrogen tank.
The new external tank will be the same size as the
current one but will be approximately 7500 pounds lighter.
"Each pound we can take from the external tank is one more
pound we can take to orbit. This becomes especially
important when launching the international Space Station
into its proper orbit in 1997," Counts said.
The super lightweight tank will be constructed of
aluminum lithium which is a lighter, stronger material than
the metal alloy currently used in the production of the
Space Shuttle's external tank. Taking advantage of the high
strength, lower density properties of aluminum lithium, the
walls of the hydrogen tank will be manufactured in an
orthogonal waffle-like pattern.
The Shuttle's current external tank as well as the new
super lightweight tank are manufactured by Lockheed Martin
Corp. at NASA's Michoud Assembly Facility, LA. The tank
contains the liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen propellants
consumed by the Shuttle's three main engines during launch.
The External Tank Project is managed for the Space Shuttle
program at Marshall.
- end -
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