We are so, so tiny compared to this 130-foot fuel tank
Source: YouTube/NASA
On Tuesday, NASA released a 60-second time-lapse video that documents the construction of a 130-foot liquid hydrogen fuel tank meant to power the Orion spacecraft into deep space. According to NASA, these core stage tanks produce two million pounds of thrust and carry 537,000 gallons of chilled liquid hydrogen.
While the project is beyond cool, there’s one little problem with this video. Where are the people? If you inch your face close to your screen and squint, you can kind of see people scurrying around the bottom of the fuel tank. Otherwise, it looks like a massive network of machines working all on their own, leaving us with a perplexing, futuristic version of Where’s Waldo?
In the video’s caption, NASA’s Marshall Center gives viewers a little context, writing, “The hydrogen tank comprises nearly two-thirds of the length of the 212-foot-long core stage and will help quench the thirst of the four RS-25 engines that, along with the twin solid rocket boosters, will launch the Orion spacecraft and carry crew to deep space destination and eventually Mars.” Undoubtedly, the video’s overall effect is both humbling and awe-inspiring.
Watch the video for yourself above and let us know if you’re able to spot a tiny human.
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