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NASA ‘Game-Changing’ Space Propellant Tank To Stay Grounded For Now
As of 2014, NASA and Boeing are developing a propellant tank made of composite materials to hold cryogenic (low-temperature) gases in space. Initially slated for a 2018 test flight, NASA’s 2015 budget will keep these tanks on the ground for the foreseeable future. Credit: NASA/MSFC/Emmett Given
A lighter and stronger “game-changing” tank that could have flown in space in a few years will be tested on the ground only, at least for now, according to the NASA budget and a few reports.
Last year, the agency conducted ground tests on a composite propellant tank intended to be better than its heavier counterparts, saving on launch costs. At the time, NASA said it was aiming to test this on a demonstration flight in 2018, but the new budget request says testing will stay grounded.
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Read the rest of NASA ‘Game-Changing’ Space Propellant Tank To Stay Grounded For Now (224 words)
© Elizabeth Howell for Universe Today, 2014. |
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Post tags: Boeing, cyrogenic tank, gas tank
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Source: http://www.universetoday.com/110510/nasa-game-changing-space-propellant-tank-to-stay-grounded-for-now/
