Mercedes Mullins
The external fuel tank of a space shuttle is one of the three main sources of fuel. It is the only part of the shuttle that is not reusable. The tank, made of aluminium, is covered with spray-on foam insulation to prevent ice from forming on its outside skin. The tank detaches about 70 miles above the Earth's surface and burns up in the atmosphere. It is designed to break up before impact in the Indian Ocean or the Pacific Ocean, away from shipping lanes.
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What You'll Learn
External fuel tanks are not reusable and break up before impact
External fuel tanks are not designed to be reusable. They are built to detach from the shuttle about 70 miles above Earth's surface and burn up in the atmosphere. The tanks are made of aluminium and coated in spray-on foam insulation. They are fragile and have been implicated in the loss of vehicles and crew in the past.
The tanks are the largest element of the Space Shuttle and, when loaded, the heaviest. They are also the backbone of the shuttle during launch, providing structural support for attachment to the Space Shuttle Solid Rocket Boosters (SRBs) and the orbiter. The ET consists of three major components: the aft liquid hydrogen (LH2) tank, which is the largest part; the liquid oxygen (LOX) tank, which is located at the top of the ET and has an ogive shape to reduce aerodynamic drag and aerothermodynamic heating; and the forward liquid oxygen (LOX) tank.
During re-entry, the external tank heats up and starts to break apart due to the lack of protection. The remaining fuel and oxidiser mix, resulting in rapid combustion, which breaks the tank into smaller pieces that burn up before reaching the Earth's surface. This typically happens over the Indian Ocean or the Pacific Ocean, away from shipping lanes.
Although the external tanks were always discarded, there were plans to potentially reuse them in orbit. Some ideas included incorporating them into a space station as extra living or research space, using them as rocket fuel tanks for interplanetary missions, or utilising them as raw materials for orbiting factories. However, these plans never came to fruition, and the external fuel tanks remained non-reusable.
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The tanks are designed to burn up completely in the atmosphere
External fuel tanks are designed to burn up completely in the atmosphere. They are not meant to be reused and typically break up before impact in the Indian Ocean or the Pacific Ocean, away from shipping lanes. The tanks are not recovered post-detachment.
The external fuel tank, also known as the ET, is the largest element of the Space Shuttle. It is jettisoned just over ten seconds after the main engine is cut off. During re-entry, the tank heats up and starts to break apart due to the lack of protection. The remaining fuel and oxidizer mix, resulting in rapid combustion, which breaks the entire tank into smaller pieces that are easily burned up before reaching the Earth's surface.
The ET is covered with spray-on foam insulation to prevent ice from forming on its outer skin and to insulate the propellants inside. The foam skin can be several hundred degrees on the outside and several hundred degrees below zero on the inside. The ET also has cameras mounted in brackets attached to the shuttle, along with transmitters that can continue to send video data long after the shuttle and the ET have separated.
The ET is the "backbone" of the shuttle during launch, providing structural support for attachment to the Space Shuttle Solid Rocket Boosters (SRBs) and the orbiter. It supplied fuel and oxidizer under pressure to the three RS-25 main engines in the orbiter. Each launch requires a new ET.
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The tanks fall into the Indian Ocean or the Pacific Ocean
The Space Shuttle external tank (ET) is the component of the Space Shuttle launch vehicle that contained liquid hydrogen fuel and liquid oxygen oxidizer. During lift-off and ascent, it supplied fuel and oxidizer under pressure to the three RS-25 main engines in the orbiter. The ET was jettisoned just over 10 seconds after the main engine cut off and re-entered the Earth's atmosphere.
Unlike the Solid Rocket Boosters, the external tanks were not re-used. They broke up before impact, falling into the Indian Ocean or the Pacific Ocean, away from shipping lanes, and were not recovered. The ET was the largest and heaviest element of the Space Shuttle. It consisted of three major components: the aft liquid hydrogen (LH2) tank, which was the largest part but relatively light due to liquid hydrogen's low density; the liquid oxygen (LOX) tank; and the interconnecting structures, including the struts that attached the ET to the orbiter, the umbilical cord that carried fluids and electrical wires between the tank and the orbiter, and the external tanks that held the liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen.
The external tanks were always discarded, but it may have been possible to reuse them in orbit. Plans for reuse included incorporation into a space station as extra living or research space, as rocket fuel tanks for interplanetary missions, or as raw materials for orbiting factories. Another concept was to use the ET as a cargo carrier for bulky payloads.
During re-entry, the tank heats up and starts to break apart due to the lack of protection, and the remaining fuel and oxidizer mix, resulting in rapid combustion. This breaks the tank into smaller pieces that are easily burned up before reaching the Earth's surface.
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External tanks are the largest element of the Space Shuttle
The Space Shuttle external tank (ET) is the largest element of the Space Shuttle. It is also the heaviest element when loaded. The ET is the "backbone" of the shuttle during launch, providing structural support and attachment for the Solid Rocket Boosters (SRBs) and the orbiter. The tank is connected to each SRB at one forward attachment point and one aft bracket, and to the orbiter at one forward attachment bipod and two aft bipods. Umbilicals in the aft attachment area carry fluids, gases, electrical signals, and power between the tank and the orbiter.
The ET consists of three major components: the forward liquid oxygen (LOX) tank, the aft liquid hydrogen (LH2) tank, and the interconnecting structure or intertank. The aft liquid hydrogen tank is the largest component of the ET, but it is relatively light due to liquid hydrogen's very low density. The ET also has two electrical umbilicals that carry electrical power from the orbiter to the tank and the SRBs, and transmit information from the SRBs and ET back to the orbiter.
The ET supplied fuel and oxidizer under pressure to the three RS-25 main engines in the orbiter during lift-off and ascent. It was jettisoned just over 10 seconds after main engine cut-off (MECO) and re-entered the Earth's atmosphere. The ET was not reused and broke up before impact in the Indian Ocean (or the Pacific Ocean for direct-insertion launch trajectories), away from shipping lanes.
Over the years, NASA worked to reduce the weight of the ET to increase overall efficiency and cargo-carrying capability. The first two tanks, used for STS-1 and STS-2, were painted white to protect them from ultraviolet light during the extended time spent on the launch pad prior to launch. However, it was later determined that the paint did not actually provide protection, and from STS-3 onwards, the tanks were left unpainted to save weight.
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The tanks are covered in spray-on foam insulation
The external fuel tanks of the Space Shuttle are covered in spray-on foam insulation. This foam insulation is coloured orange, although the first two tanks used for STS-1 and STS-2 were painted white to protect the tanks from ultraviolet light during the extended time on the launch pad.
Spray foam insulation is a great way to insulate tanks of all types, including petroleum and oil field tanks, water tanks, chemical tanks, and wine tanks, to name a few. One of the advantages of spray foam insulation is that it conforms not only to the typical round shape of tanks but also to many other unique shapes.
Foam insulation is also easier to install than a vacuum jacket. It is less sensitive to damage and requires minimal maintenance. It is expected to have a service life of at least 10 years and can resist vibration.
Closed-cell spray foam insulation is recommended to insulate storage tanks. It can provide a high R-value and tensile strength of up to 30 psi. It can also be used in combination with other coatings, such as polyureas, silicones, and acrylics, to create a durable and long-lasting surface.
However, it is important to properly clean the tanks before applying the spray foam insulation to ensure proper adhesion. High-pressure, high-volume power washing is the preferred method for cleaning, and in some cases, special cleansers and degreasers may be needed.
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Frequently asked questions
The external fuel tank, or ET, is not designed to make it back to Earth intact. It re-enters the Earth's atmosphere and burns up, typically over the Indian Ocean.
After the ET is jettisoned, it re-enters the Earth's atmosphere. The tank heats up and starts to break apart, resulting in rapid combustion. This breaks the tank into smaller pieces that burn up before reaching the Earth's surface.
The external fuel tank is an aluminum shell coated in spray-on foam insulation. This makes it fragile, and unable to withstand the heat and pressure of re-entry.
The pieces of the ET that do not burn up fall into the Indian Ocean or the Pacific Ocean, away from shipping lanes.
The ET was the only part of the space shuttle that was not reusable. However, NASA considered plans for reusing the tanks in orbit, such as incorporating them into a space station or using them as rocket fuel tanks for interplanetary missions.
