Houston gets NASA shuttle mock up to display....

http://www.collectspace.com/news/news-060112b.html

http://www.collectspace.com/news/news-121111a.html

Come to think of it a shuttle that you can actually walk into and explore sounds pretty neat compared to a vehicle that will be on static display only. I went inside the mock up years ago when visiting Cape Canaveral and it was a fascinating experience. I know I'll be flamed for this but I actually wish the Intrepid had commissioned some sort of replica that can be explored rather than be seen only from the outside.

But it's not even a glider

I feel sorry for the tour guides who will be asked the same question over and over again " How many times did this shuttle fly in space", and then have to answer " well it never did quite make it into space but"....... :redface: :redface::redface:

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by alberchico

Come to think of it a shuttle that you can actually walk into and explore sounds pretty neat compared to a vehicle that will be on static display only. I went inside the mock up years ago when visiting Cape Canaveral and it was a fascinating experience. I know I'll be flamed for this but I actually wish the Intrepid had commissioned some sort of replica that can be explored rather than be seen only from the outside.

---

I was thinking along the same lines. Seattle is the real winner in my book, getting the actual astronaut training mockup that people will be able to walk through.

The replica Houston is getting, which used to be at the Kennedy Space Center, is neat, but not the greatest.

http://www.collectspace.com/images/news-121111a/014.jpg

The two boxes on the side are the doors where you walk in. At KSC, each door was connected to a long, winding ramp that made it wheelchair accessible.

Each box is a small room which holds maybe five or six people at a time. On your left, a plexiglass wall exposing the cargo bay, a prototype Canadarm and a prototype satellite. On your right, a plexiglass-covered realistic looking cockpit. Each room is basically the same, just offering a low angle and a high angle.

And that's it. Once you're in there for about a minute, you've seen everything there is to see. You can't walk through the cargo bay, you can't sit in the cockpit. There's no buttons to push or anything to touch.

We'll see if Seattle makes it accessible or if they functionally restrict access to the same level

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Derf

But it's not even a glider

---

Oddly enough, we gave our shuttle that never flew a parade when it arrived.

New York...managed to break their glider already. :rolleyes:

It's not really broken... it just got a scuff mark on it :tongue:

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by gonzalu

It's not really broken... it just got a scuff mark on it :tongue:

---

All it took was a scuff mark to bring down Columbia and Challenger. <.< There is no such thing as 'just' on a space shuttle.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Perriwen

All it took was a scuff mark to bring down Columbia and Challenger. <.< There is no such thing as 'just' on a space shuttle.

---

Right, because when NYC launches Enterprise into space next month, the damaged wingtip will cause a disaster...

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by moose135

Right, because when NYC launches Enterprise into space next month, the damaged wingtip will cause a disaster...

---

He's only a college student, probably does not even know what happened to Challenger.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by moose135

Right, because when NYC launches Enterprise into space next month, the damaged wingtip will cause a disaster...

---

The point is, you don't be careless with something priceless. :p I predicted this would happen, people called me simply bitter, and low and behold, ya' rammed the wing into a bridge and damaged a priceless national artifact. It doesn't matter if it's the wingtip ripped off or the whole wing ripped off, you still. damaged. the. shuttle. :p

Anyway, the parade the replica got was pretty nice. I'm anxious to take a look on the inside.

Quote:

---

He's only a college student, probably does not even know what happened to Challenger.

---

Early morning freezing caused a crack in the SRB's O-ring, causing a flame to lick out and ignite the external fuel tank.

Some photos of arrival from JSC:

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8014/7...ab1391d4_b.jpg

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8163/7...fce60887_b.jpg

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7241/7...e82c75c8_b.jpg

Try not to damage it, will you? :cool:

Nice shots, I like the fireworks shot!

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Perriwen

It doesn't matter if it's the wingtip ripped off or the whole wing ripped off, you still. damaged. the. shuttle. :p

---

Indeed. Kind of like saying "It's only a little magic marker" as the authorities are frowning at the mustache on the Mona Lisa...

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by snydersnapshots

Indeed. Kind of like saying "It's only a little magic marker" as the authorities are frowning at the mustache on the Mona Lisa...

---

No. Sorry, but its not really the same at all.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Tom_Turner

No. Sorry, but its not really the same at all.

---

Actually, it is....

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Perriwen

Actually, it is....

---

Actually, it is not...

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Perriwen

The point is, you don't be careless with something priceless. :p I predicted this would happen, people called me simply bitter, and low and behold, ya' rammed the wing into a bridge and damaged a priceless national artifact. It doesn't matter if it's the wingtip ripped off or the whole wing ripped off, you still. damaged. the. shuttle. :p

Anyway, the parade the replica got was pretty nice. I'm anxious to take a look on the inside.



Early morning freezing caused a crack in the SRB's O-ring, causing a flame to lick out and ignite the external fuel tank.

---

You are in fact clearly pretty bitter. The fact that some dope from intrepid Or from the tug operation didn't take enough precautions to make sure the wingtips wouldn't sustain any damage, thereby making you arguably accurate, doesn't change that. The two concepts arent mutually exclusive. But thanks for showing up right on cue regardless.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by TJK

You are in fact clearly pretty bitter. The fact that some dope from intrepid Or from the tug operation didn't take enough precautions to make sure the wingtips wouldn't sustain any damage, thereby making you arguably accurate, doesn't change that. The two concepts arent mutually exclusive. But thanks for showing up right on cue regardless.

---

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Perriwen

Some photos of arrival from JSC:

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8014/7...ab1391d4_b.jpg

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8163/7...fce60887_b.jpg

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7241/7...e82c75c8_b.jpg

---

Awww, your bridges are so wide it's not even a challenge! What, are the engineers in TX not confident in their tug crews or something? Just kidding, mostly. Nice fireworks photo. And again, thanks for showing up on cue.

Glad to see that Houston got something. Any chance that Endeavor will make a pit stop there on her way to CA? I do believe that the SCA is limited to about 1,000 mile segments

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by NickPeterman

Glad to see that Houston got something. Any chance that Endeavor will make a pit stop there on her way to CA? I do believe that the SCA is limited to about 1,000 mile segments

---

That's what we're hoping for. I know the SCA's done fly-bys with the shuttle over Ellington and JSC on the way back to the Cape from Edwards, so it only makes sense it may do it one last time.

I wonder if they could even sync the timing with Wings Over Houston and have them both on static display for the air show. THAT would be sweet. The SCA is a frequent visitor for that show anyway.

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7238/7...69efc62b_b.jpg

What is the config for the inside of the SCA?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Big Tim #70

What is the config for the inside of the SCA?

---

Completely hollow except for some seats and basic stuff in the front.

(not my pictures below)

http://www.collectspace.com/images/news-041212a/004.jpg

http://images3.jetphotos.net/img/1/6...1086772446.jpg

Do they ever use it for anything else, i.e. freighter, transport, etc?

I see it has the original spiral staircase! Classy!

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Big Tim #70

Do they ever use it for anything else, i.e. freighter, transport, etc?

---

Latest I heard is they will soon be used with NASA's SOFIA airborne observatory (modified 747SP, see below) in some manner, I'm not sure if they're converting one or both of them into the observatories or just using them for the parts.

Regardless, after Endeavor, their transport days are over.

http://www.geeky-gadgets.com/wp-cont...-Sofia-021.jpg

No offense to the arts community, but as far as I'm concerned, the "little scuff" (if I scuffed a boat or plane that bad when I was docking or maneuvering you can bet the USCG or FAA would be paying me a visit) is much worse than a little marker on the Mona Lisa, it's a painting fergodsakes. Maybe I'm not cultured enough, or maybe I'm too much of an engineer/aviation geek, but we're talking about one of 4 shuttles here that have actually taken to the skies (between the three actual orbiters and the Enterprise), if what you're looking for is a 20 by 30 image of an ambiguous woman with a slight smile, take your camera out, find someone, take a picture and print it!

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Perriwen

Actually, it is....

---

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by gonzalu

Actually, it is not...

---

http://img198.imageshack.us/img198/8940/19693503.jpg