02.28.06 Jessica Rye Kennedy Space Center, Fla. Phone: (321) 867-2468 MEDIA ADVISORY: 16-06 NASA'S FUEL TANK FOR NEXT SHUTTLE LAUNCH ARRIVES AT KENNEDY The redesigned external fuel tank that will launch the Space Shuttle Discovery on the next shuttle mission is scheduled to arrive on Wednesday at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, Fla. The barge carrying the tank departed from the Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans on Feb. 25. The tank is scheduled to arrive at the turn basin at 1 p.m. EST Wednesday. Media who wish to view the tank rolling off the barge at the turn basin and being transported into the Vehicle Assembly Building may arrive at the Kennedy News Center at 3 p.m. EST. Times are subject to change. On Wednesday morning, media can verify arrival times by calling the Kennedy Press Site at (321) 867-2468. The tank, designated ET-119, will fly with many major safety changes, including the removal of the protuberance air load ramps. A large piece of foam from one of the ramps came off during the July 2005 launch of the last shuttle mission. The ramps were removed to help eliminate a potential source of damaging debris to the space shuttle. Media without Kennedy Space Center credentials should submit their requests via the online accreditation Web site: https://media.ksc.nasa.gov For information about the next shuttle mission, STS-121, on the Web, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/shuttle For information about NASA and agency programs on the Web, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/home -end- To subscribe to the list, send a message to: ksc-subscribe@newsletters.nasa.gov To remove your address from the list, send a message to: ksc-unsubscribe@newsletters.nasa.gov
