If you were focused on Discovery's rollover to the Vehicle Assembly Building this morning at Kennedy Space Center, you might have missed another vehicle on the move. The Pegasus barge departed the center's turn basin around 9:30 a.m. to ship out to NASA's Michoud Assembly Facility near New Orleans, where it will pick up the last shuttle external tank scheduled to be delivered to Florida.
The Freedom Star solid rocket booster recovery ship will have the honor of towing the tank and the Pegasus across the Gulf of Mexico to KSC.
The tank called ET-122 was refurbished after sustaining damage during hurricane Katrina in 2005. It's expected to arrive at Kennedy on Sept. 27, slightly ahead of schedule.
NASA plans to fly the tank with Endeavour in February on what is now the last scheduled shuttle mission.
ET-138, a newer tank delivered to KSC in July, will be mated with boosters that will either stand by to fly with a rescue shuttle backing up Endeavour's mission, or possibly to fly a final full mission if funding is approved for one more next summer.
IMAGE: On July 13, tugboats moved NASA's Pegasus barge, carrying External Tank-138, through the Banana River toward the turn basin at Kennedy Space Center. In the background is Kennedy's oceanside Launch Pad 39A. Credit: NASA/Jack Pfaller
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