NASA made the decision to stop painting the external tank of its space shuttles because the white paint added approximately 600 pounds of weight. The external tank, which provided structural support during launch and was jettisoned off the shuttle once it was nearly empty, weighed 78,100 pounds when empty and could hold over 1.5 million pounds of propellant. The space shuttle program, consisting of the orbiter, two solid rocket boosters, and the external tank, launched its first mission on April 12, 1981, and its final mission on July 8, 2011. The decision to leave the external tank unpainted starting from the third launch aimed to reduce the overall weight of the space shuttle. This change was implemented after the first two space shuttle launches, during which the external tank was painted white. The Challenger explosion in 1986 and the Columbia breakup in 2003 were significant incidents in the history of the space shuttle program. [599d9045]
A local business in Union City, Tennessee, called Allen's Paint and Supply, has been tasked with renovating a thirty-year-old astronaut training (UAT) tank used at the U.S. Space and Rocket Center in Huntsville, Alabama. The tank, which is one of only two in the world, is used to simulate weightlessness and is filled with obstacles to mimic actions on Earth in space. The repair process involved a five-step plan, including filling holes, applying multiple coats of epoxy paints, and a waterproof epoxy coating. The repair took two trips and a total of 16 days to complete. The crew worked mainly at night to avoid disrupting the center's operations. The owner of Allen's Paint and Supply, Henry 'Buckey' Allen, expressed his excitement and gratitude for the opportunity, calling it a once-in-a-lifetime experience. He emphasized the importance of small businesses striving for excellence and not selling themselves short. Buckey and his crew are also preparing to make two minor repairs underwater, requiring Buckey to complete his divers certification. Overall, the repair of the UAT tank is seen as a contribution to the future of NASA and space exploration. [69f4411b]