Space Shuttle External Fuel Tank

The Space Shuttle External Fuel 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. The original external fuel tank was constructed from 2219 aluminum alloy, a high-strength aluminum copper alloy commonly used in aerospace applications. The 154-foot-long external fuel tank was the backbone of the shuttle during launch and was always discarded after use.

The external tank’s distinctive orange color, an iconic feature of the Space Shuttle program, comes from its spray-on foam insulation. The first two tanks, used for STS-1 and STS-2, were originally painted white to shield them from ultraviolet light during the shuttle’s extended time on the launch pad. However, NASA engineer Farouk Huneidi determined that the paint provided no actual protection for the foam. To reduce weight, Martin Marietta, now part of Lockheed Martin, opted to leave the rust-colored insulation unpainted, starting with STS-3, saving approximately 272 kg (600 lb).

Green Cove Springs

The external fuel tank found at Green Cove Springs is a full-scale model and was never intended for space flight. It was the third and final test tank for the Space Shuttle Program and was used for structures/stress testing at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, between 1977 and 1980. After its use, the external fuel tank was moved to NASA’s Stennis Space Center in Mississippi. In 1997, it was moved again to Kennedy Space Center, where it was displayed.

After 30 years, the Space Shuttle Program ended in 2011 with the final flight of the Space Shuttle Atlantis. Upon closure of the program, NASA announced it was unloading space relics, which included the ET to make room for the retired space shuttle Atlantis, along with a new exhibition facility. The ET was auctioned off. The initial winning bidder was located in California and decided that transporting it across the country was too much of a headache. The second winning bid was from the Wings of Dreams Aviation Museum in Keystone Heights Airport in Starke, Florida.

A 200-foot barge, two tugboats, and cranes were required to transport the massive tank from Kennedy Space Center to Green Cove Springs, where it was meant to be temporarily stored before reaching its final destination. Moving the tank proved to be a logistical nightmare due to road conditions, low-hanging electrical and telephone cables, and wires running across and over the streets. According to Bob Oehl, the museum’s executive director, two state highways had to be closed down, and multiple power lines would have to be removed.

The challenges of relocating such a large structure proved formidable, and the staging site ultimately became the tank’s permanent home. Recently, a sign was placed in front of the tank detailing its role in the U.S. space program and the journey that brought it there.

The Wings of Dreams Aviation Museum closed in 2019 due to a lack of funds, and it was evicted from the airport hangar in which it was located. When the airport authority went to court to have Oehl remove the artifacts from the property, one of the artifacts, a shuttle crew transporter, was left abandoned directly outside of the airport property on land that is used for rally racing. The museum also had a shuttle training simulator and many World War II relics whose whereabouts are unknown.

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