Space Shuttle Discovery

[Ace001]

What happens to the External Fuel Tank and Solid Rocket Boosters when they seperate from the Shuttle?

Cheers.

[tomd]

According to Nasa.gov, "..the [External Fuel Tank] is jettisoned, enters the Earth's atmosphere, breaks up, and impacts in a remote ocean area. It is not recovered." I'd precide most of that with "hopefully", as debris has been known to rain (although mostly only after error/disaster)

[tomd]

& the SRBs are attached

[brachiopod]

I thought the SRB's are jettisoned earlier that the fuel tank, and descend back to Earth by parachute ? (in theory, to be used again - but unlikely at this shaky point in NASA's history)

[brachiopod]

...earlier *than* the fuel tank....

[MargeB]

<cough cough>

Is that earlier than the other bits that weren't meant to fall off?

Yikes!

[KebabMeister]

The SRBs are indeed jettisoned and parachute back to Earth for re-use (they're painted white).

The main fuel tank is not designed for re-use (and is incidently not painted to save a bit of dosh... maybe just a primer paint!  Apparently!)