Can the external fuel tank be recovered and studied?
No. The external fuel tank (called ET by NASA) stays with the shuttle until about 9 minutes after launch. It then separates, falls back, and burns up as it comes through the atmosphere. This has confused some people because another part of the launch system is retrieved. Solid rocket boosters (SRBs), which provide most of the thrust for liftoff, detach about 28 miles (45 kilometers) up while the shuttle’s main engines continue firing. The SRBs fall into the ocean off Cap Canaveral and are picked up, refurbished and re-used.
