[messe]

> pace Shuttle tank is one of the most mass efficient architectures in history and it was full of liquid hydrogen.

That being said, it didn't have to last very long while filled with LH2/LOX; a few hours at most prior to launch, and a few minutes during launch. They were never reused, unlike the orbiter and SRB segments.

[ncmncm]

More's the pity. They actually used extra fuel to keep it from joining the shuttle in orbit. That much raw aluminum pressure vessel in orbit could have been so useful!