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History is being made this weekend as the last-existing, flight-qualified external fuel tank for NASA's Space Shuttle Program makes a 16.5-mile crawl through the streets of Los Angeles to its new home at the California Science Center. On Saturday, May 21, the tank, a nearly 154-foot long, more than 65,000-pound behemoth dubbed ET-94, will be towed from the port in Marina del Rey to the science center. Eventually, it will be displayed with the space shuttle Endeavour and two solid rocket boosters in launch configuration – looking like it's ready to blast into space!
In our latest Teachable Moment, education specialist Ota Lutz explains some of the fascinating history behind the the external tanks – and ET-94 specifically – and discusses the engineering challenge of transporting a giant fuel tank through city streets. Then, she demonstrates how to turn the historic event into a math lesson for students that addresses both Next Generation Science and Common Core Math Standards for grades 2-12.
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