Tugs, barge to tow space shuttle fuel tank from La. to Fla. (PHOTO)

(NEW ORLEANS) — A space shuttle fuel tank will be towed by tugboats and a barge instead of by the usual NASA ship, the news Web site Spacetravel Now reported. The giant oil slick in the Gulf of Mexico has blocked the deepwater route normally used by the space agency’s vessel Freedom Star. Instead, Louisiana tugs will transport the barge via an alternative shallow-water channel and rendezvous with Freedom Star later. 
 
Click here to view the story, photo and a satellite image.
By Professional Mariner Staff