Detail View: NASA Kennedy Center Media Archive Collection: KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - In the transfer aisle of NASA Kennedy Space Center's Vehicle Assembly Building, the newly delivered external tank is suspended vertically just above the floor. Designated ET-119, the 154-foot tank will be lifted into a checkout cell for further work. The tank, which will launch space shuttle Discovery on mission STS-121, will fly with many major safety changes, including the removal of the protuberance air load ramps. A large piece of foam from a ramp came off during the last shuttle launch in July 2005. The ramps were removed to eliminate a potential source of damaging debris to the space shuttle. The next launch of Discovery is scheduled for May 2006. Photo credit: NASA/Jim Grossmann

Description: 
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - In the transfer aisle of NASA Kennedy Space Center's Vehicle Assembly Building, the newly delivered external tank is suspended vertically just above the floor. Designated ET-119, the 154-foot tank will be lifted into a checkout cell for further work. The tank, which will launch space shuttle Discovery on mission STS-121, will fly with many major safety changes, including the removal of the protuberance air load ramps. A large piece of foam from a ramp came off during the last shuttle launch in July 2005. The ramps were removed to eliminate a potential source of damaging debris to the space shuttle. The next launch of Discovery is scheduled for May 2006. Photo credit: NASA/Jim Grossmann
Release Date: 
03/02/2006
Photo Credit: 
NASA or National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Release: 
National Aeronautics and Space Administration John F. Kennedy Space Center Kennedy Space Center, Florida 32899
facet_what: 
Space Shuttle Orbiter
facet_where: 
Florida
facet_when: 
03-02-2006
facet_when_year: 
2005
Photo Number: 
KSC-06PD-0422
UID: 
SPD-KSCMA-KSC-06PD-0422
original url: 
http://mediaarchive.ksc.nasa.gov/detail.cfm?mediaid=28136