[net.columbia] re-using tanks

aer@alice.UucP (D. Rosenberg) (01/31/86)

In article <646@sfmin.UUCP>, jeffj@sfmin.UUCP/attunix!jeffj writes... 

> 2)  I know we recover the tanks after each mission, but are they re-used?
> 	What is the history of the liquid fuel tank -
> 		How many times was it used?
> 		What is the inspection/recertification process?

The liquid fuel tank (the big bullet-shaped thing, that gets dumped out over
the Indian Ocean) isn't re-used. The two SRBs, however, *are* recovered, and
parts from them (not the whole thing as a unit) are re-used.
The people at NASA have, of course, been saying that they check the re-used
SRB parts for metal strain and other decay.

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