"NASA's Decision to Stop Painting Space Shuttle Fuel Tanks: The Facts"
NASA stopped painting the space shuttle's external tank white after the first two missions because the paint added about 600 pounds of weight, which could be better reserved for other items such as propellant. The space shuttle program, operational for 30 years, featured reusable spacecraft with the external tank providing structural support during launch and holding fuel for the main engines. The decision to stop painting the tank aimed to optimize weight and reusability, with the program launching five orbiters and conducting missions lasting between five to 16 days with a crew of five to seven people.