A Gigantic Space Shuttle Tank Is Heading To California Science Center

A 66,000-pound external fuel tank, which is also known as ET-94, has just arrived in Marina Del Rey. It is heading to its new home at the California Science Center in Los Angeles. This space shuttle tank is designed for one-time use in dispatching a space shuttle.

Space shuttle tank, ET 94, arrives at Fisherman's Village in Marina del Rey https://t.co/9lpm5fVzJc pic.twitter.com/eaBdtraVQG

— ABC7 Eyewitness News (@ABC7) May 18, 2016

The fuel tank on a barge was dragged by a tugboat called the Shannon Dann. It was pulled out of NASA's Michoud Assembly Facility in Louisiana last month, where it was built.

Rick Oefinger, the president of Marina Del Rey Sportfishing said he was planning for big crowds to gather into Fisherman's Village over the next few days to see the 15-story tank. He added that it is exciting, every time you see a piece of solid, all-American equipment. "You feel kind of patriotic. You feel good." ET-94's journey created news last week when the crew of the tugboat rescued the people who had to abort a sinking sportfishing boat off the coast of Baja California.

The space shuttle tank is NASA's last remaining shuttle external tank. It was the sister of ET-93, which was the tank of the space shuttle Columbia. ET-93 broke apart and burned up on reentry in 2003. This resulted in killing seven astronauts on board. The ET-94 was examined thoroughly into what went wrong and never used and sent into space, according to LA Times.

ET-94 will be on display together with the retired space shuttle Endeavor, which also had a similar trip in the city in October 2012. This attracted thousands of people lining the streets from Los Angeles International Airport to Exposition Park to get a glimpse of the space shuttle Endeavor. ET-94 will have its overland journey on Saturday.