External Tank News Today

Left: Workers tow space shuttle Enterprise through the streets of Lancaster, California, on the way to NASA’s Dryden, now Armstrong, Flight Research Center at

On Apr. 6, 1984, space shuttle Challenger took off on its fifth flight, STS-41C. Its five-person crew of Commander Robert L. “Crip” Crippen, Pilot Francis R.

With propellant, the external tank weighed more than 1.6 million pounds.

On Feb. 3, 1984, space shuttle Challenger took off on its fourth flight, STS-41B. Its five-person crew of Commander Vance D. Brand, Pilot Robert L. “Hoot”

Former astronaut Julie Payette about the Apollo 1, Space Shuttle Challenger and Space Shuttle Columbia disasters and how they affected space travel and the NASA space agency.

The museum team stacked the Endeavour orbiter on top of an external tank and two solid boosters, marking a big step towards the completion of the display.

A shrink-wrapped Endeavour was hoisted and then carefully placed in its final location Tuesday at the still-under-construction Samuel Oschin Air and Space Center.

A shrink-wrapped Endeavour was hoisted and then carefully placed in its final location Tuesday at the still-under-construction Samuel Oschin Air and Space Center.

Barring high winds or other bad weather, the orbiter will be lifted by two cranes late Monday in a move that could take up to 10 hours to complete.

The iconic Endeavour orbiter is set to complete the Space Shuttle display at the California Science Center before it's open to the public.