Great launch for Atlantis

On 5/14/2010 3:29 PM, Brian Thorn wrote:

Just less time out on the pad, would be my guess. The longer the ET is
out there, the darker it gets, and STS-132 had a very brief pad-stay.

STS-128: 24 Days
STS-129: 33 Days
STS-130: 33 Days
STS-131: 34 Days
STS-132: 22 Days

128 was brief, too, but that was a night launch and harder to notice
the lighter color.

That could be it.
I just noticed you can see the ET venting either oxygen or hydrogen from
the intertank section after jettison on that video I linked to, starting
at the 45 second mark.
Considering how lightly it's built, and the foam on its exterior, have
any remains of a ET ever been found floating in the ocean after reentry?

Pat