new External Tank coating - more suitable for ET space station?

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Owen Zurhellen - 13 Jul 2005 04:03 GMT

Dear all: As you may have heard, one of the difficulties in using the
Space Shuttle's External Tank as an orbiting space station or factory
(rather than allowing it simply to reenter to destruction) has been thought
to be the orange outer coating that insulates the cryogenic propellants,
which would slowly disintegrate (from micrometeors and the exosphere's
monatomic oxygen) and choke the vicinity with fine debris. The outer coating
of the ET has now been modified (I'm not sure exactly how) to avoid the
problem that doomed COLUMBIA - relatively large chunks of the coating
falling off during ascent and striking the orbiter's vulnerable tiles. Would
this recent modification help the on-orbit disintegration problem in any
way?

- Owen Zurhellen (New York)

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Damon Hill - 14 Jul 2005 20:05 GMT

> Dear all: As you may have heard, one of the
> difficulties in using the
[quoted text clipped - 10 lines]
> orbiter's vulnerable tiles. Would this recent modification
> help the on-orbit disintegration problem in any way?

I'm not aware of anything that alters the bulk properties
of the insulation, just the manner in which is it applied
in certain areas.

It's otherwise irrelevant because the tank will never, ever
be used on-orbit for anything.

--Damon

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- 31 Jul 2005 02:29 GMT

>> Dear all: As you may have heard, one of the
>> difficulties in using the
[quoted text clipped - 17 lines]
> It's otherwise irrelevant because the tank will never, ever
> be used on-orbit for anything.

Why not?

Dale

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Space Forum / Space Flight / July 2005

new External Tank coating - more suitable for ET space station?