Technicians begin to remove thermal sensors and foam insulation from space shuttle Discovery's external fuel tank in the Vehicle Assembly Building.

Technicians begin to remove thermal sensors and foam insulation from space shuttle Discovery's external fuel tank in the Vehicle Assembly Building. The sensors will give engineers data about the changes the tank went through with the loading and draining of super-cold propellants during a tanking test on Dec. 17. Below the bright-orange external tank, is the nose of the shuttle, which still is attached to the tank and two solid rocket boosters.

Discovery's next launch opportunity to the International Space Station on the STS-133 mission is no earlier than Feb. 3, 2011. For more information on STS-133, visit www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/sts133/. Photo credit: NASA/Frank Michaux