Hey guys,
It took 3 emails to Customer Service, but I finally got this response (I bolded the important part for emphasis):
My first email got a generic "try rebuilding" reply. The second response, after linking them the alternate instructions and this thread asking about receiving additional parts, was a... link to the alternate instructions (very frustrating at the time). But I finally got what I wanted with the 3rd email response above.
For my part, I have found the external fuel tank engine extremely fragile; often it falls apart just when disconnecting it from the shuttle or side rockets. Very glad that LEGO is resolving this. BTW, this was resolved in the US, so hopefully, with perhaps a little effort, everyone will be able to get the parts they need for this fix.