NASA and Lockheed Martin Space Systems Company paid tribute to the workforce who built the external tanks for the space shuttle fleet on Thursday at NASA's Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans. ET-138, the last newly manufactured tank to roll out of the assembly building, served as a backdrop for speakers praising the employees. "This is a bittersweet moment for everyone who's been part of this great and dedicated NASA and Lockheed Martin external tank production team," said John Honeycutt, manager of the External Tank Project Office at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala.
"ET-138 is the last in a series of tanks that has provided increasingly safer launches of space shuttles." Lockheed Martin Space Systems Company of Denver was awarded a contract in 1973 to build the external tanks. Through almost 30 years of shuttle flights, Lockheed Martin workers at Michoud have built and delivered 134 flight tanks to the Space Shuttle Program. "Today is an emotional one for us," said Mark Bryant, vice president, Lockheed Martin External Tank Project at Michoud. "We have worked hard to build safe tanks for NASA, and I think this last one can be the safest yet. Yes, we've persevered through the challenges of Return to Flight and Katrina.
Those events made us stronger, and as a result, we have developed better, more efficient ways to build even safer tanks."Following the ceremony, a traditional New Orleans brass band and hundreds of handkerchief-waving employees escorted ET-138 on its rollout to Michoud Harbor. The tank was scheduled to depart after the ceremony aboard the Pegasus barge on a six-day, 900-mile sea journey to NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Two tugs will tow Pegasus to the Port of Gulfport where Freedom Star, NASA's solid rocket booster recovery ship, is waiting to tow the tank to Kennedy.
"ET-138 is the last in a series of tanks that has provided increasingly safer launches of space shuttles." Lockheed Martin Space Systems Company of Denver was awarded a contract in 1973 to build the external tanks. Through almost 30 years of shuttle flights, Lockheed Martin workers at Michoud have built and delivered 134 flight tanks to the Space Shuttle Program. "Today is an emotional one for us," said Mark Bryant, vice president, Lockheed Martin External Tank Project at Michoud. "We have worked hard to build safe tanks for NASA, and I think this last one can be the safest yet. Yes, we've persevered through the challenges of Return to Flight and Katrina.
Those events made us stronger, and as a result, we have developed better, more efficient ways to build even safer tanks."Following the ceremony, a traditional New Orleans brass band and hundreds of handkerchief-waving employees escorted ET-138 on its rollout to Michoud Harbor. The tank was scheduled to depart after the ceremony aboard the Pegasus barge on a six-day, 900-mile sea journey to NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Two tugs will tow Pegasus to the Port of Gulfport where Freedom Star, NASA's solid rocket booster recovery ship, is waiting to tow the tank to Kennedy.
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