posted 04-12-2011 07:22 AM               

quote:

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Originally posted by chenry:
The NMUSAF has all of the funds for the new building and has all the planning complete. They are breaking ground in the fall.

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posted 04-12-2011 08:00 AM               

The Intrepid has a long history with Naval Aviation, as does the shuttle

The Intrepid picked up Carpenter, Grissom and Young, during the Space Race. It returned the Gemini crew, and spacecraft to the Cape

Most importantly, as America's #1 Tourist destination, the sutttle will be seen by more people in New York City, by far, than anywhere else. Great publicity for NASA, and the Space program, which really need the boost.

posted 04-12-2011 08:10 AM               

quote:

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Originally posted by chenry:
The NMUSAF has all of the funds for the new building and has all the planning complete. They are breaking ground in the fall.

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posted 04-12-2011 10:05 AM            

quote:

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Originally posted by Murph:
Most importantly, as America's #1 Tourist destination, the sutttle will be seen by more people in New York City, by far, than anywhere else.

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posted 04-12-2011 10:09 AM            

quote:

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Originally posted by chenry:
The NMUSAF has all of the funds for the new building and has all the planning complete. They are breaking ground in the fall.

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posted 04-12-2011 11:33 AM               

NYC is the number one tourist destination in America, with 50 million visitors a year, and if the Intrepid gets a shuttle, it will give millions an opportunity to see it, from all over America and the world. 50 Million people, I do not believe, visit the other places you speak of, combined.

posted 04-12-2011 11:38 AM               

quote:

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Originally posted by kr4mula:
...NASM, KSC, Intrepid, and the California Science Center in LA (?!) are the supposed recipients.

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posted 04-12-2011 11:43 AM               

Tough choice, four winners and a bunch of losers.

I'm sure Dayton will move on and still build a fantastic new hanger and fill it will amazing displays.

posted 04-12-2011 12:41 PM               

NASA retiring its shuttles to Smithsonian, museums in California, Florida, New York

NASA filed the final flight plans for its three retiring space shuttles on Tuesday, assigning two to museums in Washington, DC and California, and keeping the third at its launch and landing site in Florida. A fourth, prototype orbiter will also go to a new home in New York.

NASA Administrator Charles Bolden announced the long awaited news during an employee event held at Kennedy commemorating the 30th anniversary of the space shuttle program. STS-1, the maiden flight for the winged reusable spaceship fleet, lifted off on April 12, 1981...

posted 04-12-2011 12:42 PM               

I agree with two locations Atlantis to KSC and Discovery to Smithsonian. But do not agree with the location of Endeavour (LA) and Enterprise (New York).

posted 04-12-2011 12:55 PM               

quote:

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Originally posted by Fezman92:
Didn't part of the criteria for the shuttle be something to the affect of "the place has had to make a contribution to the shuttle program"?

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And that was only one criteria, among others that included the strength of their educational programs and how many visitors would potentially see the space shuttle on display.

quote:

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...where can I find the California Science Center's plan for displaying the Endeavour?

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posted 04-12-2011 01:04 PM               

But then what has the Smithsonian done?

posted 04-12-2011 01:07 PM               

While NYC does have a big draw of people, I really was not keen on them getting a shuttle as I don't think they thought out the climate controlled building logistics enough. Parking an orbiter that close to the salt water is going to have some long term repercussions on preservation down the road. I suppose Enterprise is the best of the orbiters to go there, since it has already been displayed outside (New Orleans) and it is pretty much just an airframe without the full level of equipment that a flight orbiter has. Plus the tiles are mockups (although NASM has been adding real tiles to one of its gear doors). Still, if they do put fourth the effort to display the Enterprise properly, it will be a worthy home as Intrepid has a few other interesting aircraft in its ranks. They will probably have to rethink their intent to display Enterprise with an open payload bay though since while the doors can be opened, Enterprise has practically nothing in the bay. No radiators or bay floor are in there. Look at images of the Buran Analog on display in Germany with a segment of its payload bay open and you get the idea.

KSC is an excellent choice and better than Houston in my mind. For starters, they don't need to ferry the orbiter out of the state now on a 747, which is a cost savings. Secondly, there is enough infrastructure there to make whatever facility they use to display the orbiter likely the best of the lot and potentially the biggest tourist draw. Personally, I also think Florida needs it.

The economy of southern Houston and the communities near JSC already seems pretty robust. There will be a migration of space workers out of there (it is already happening) as budgets get cut and contractors get laid off, but people will still move into the community as there are plenty of other jobs in the region to support the people that live and work near JSC. I was also wondering how much the bill was going to be to transport the thing from Ellington field to JSC as there would be A LOT of trees that needed to get cut down and probably some street lights that would need removal as well. I am surprised that Space Center Houston didn't make a play for the shuttle training simulators on JSC property. Okay, while they don't have the glamour of a flight orbiter, ALL shuttle astronauts have trained on them and internally they are identical to flight orbiters. They would form the basis for some lovely interactive exhibits.

Florida however is a different story. The loss of jobs with the shutdown of the shuttle program could be devastating to the towns along the space coast (I am talking contractors here, not NASA civil servants). Granted new contractor jobs will open up, but you likely won't have as big a support force in the future. Tourist dollars will also be affected as not as many visitors are as likely to stay on the space coast area, instead opting to stay in Orlando or Daytona beach. If a manned rocket isn't flying, why go there? A shuttle could likely help with that situation as more younger people know what it is while they have never heard of a Saturn V. For KSC to get a shuttle, it shows that they aren't being forgotten.

posted 04-12-2011 01:25 PM               

quote:

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Originally posted by Fezman92:
So Seattle and Ohio will get the shuttle sims.

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From JSC's Space Vehicle Mockup Facility, or Building 9, the National Air and Space Museum and the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force will each be provided crew compartment (flight- and mid-deck) trainers, while the full fuselage mockup, which includes the payload bay and aft section but no wings, is destined for Seattle's Museum of Flight.

The Mission Simulation and Training Facility's (Building 5) fixed-based simulator is listed as being awarded to the Adler Planetarium in Chicago while the hydraulic-mounted flight deck motion base simulator is to go to Texas A&M's Aerospace Engineering Department in College Station.

Other shuttle system simulators have, per the Johnson Space Center's Rendezvous newsletter, been assigned to the Wings of Dreams Aviation Museum in Starke, Florida and the Virginia Air and Space Center in Hampton.

posted 04-12-2011 01:25 PM               

U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown wants U.S. General Accountability Office to investigate the process by which the National Aeronautics and Space Administration decided to distribute four retired space shuttles to museums around the country.

NASA ignored the intent of Congress and the interests of taxpayers," Brown said in a press statement. "NASA was directed to consider regional diversity when determining shuttle locations. Unfortunately, it looks like regional diversity amounts to which coast you are on, or which exit you use on I-95. Even more insulting to taxpayers is that having paid to build the shuttles, they will now be charged to see them at some sites."

posted 04-12-2011 01:28 PM               

I attended the NMUSAF's gathering for the announcement. As soon as they said Atlantis was going to KSC, the grumbles began, with gasps after each additional announcement. There were a smattering of boos when it was obvious Dayton didn't get one. The Musuem leadership, and our local Congressman, said that they were "accepting NASA's decision" and "moving forward." They also mentioned that we would be getting a main engine and a crew compartment trainer, along with other (unnamed) hardware. That leads me to believe that Bolden or his people contacted at least some of the museums ahead of time to make them aware of what was going on.

posted 04-12-2011 01:30 PM               

quote:

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Originally posted by Fezman92:
I guess that at the California Science Center they will make it so that if an earthquake hits, the Endeavour will be okay?

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posted 04-12-2011 01:39 PM               

Heck, if one is so inclined, one could fly into JFK and take mass transit to Intrepid and Enterprise.

posted 04-12-2011 01:40 PM               

But California? CLEARLY it was made to provide one to the west coast so they don't launch the offensive that Ohio seems to be launching. Who cares if the California Science Center has a flown spacecraft from every mission. Both Kansas and Texas also have that.

Oh well, at least Houston has a Saturn V.

posted 04-12-2011 02:14 PM               

I can't see getting a shuttle down to the CMSI. I know they are going to be taking down a sports arena, so maybe it will be going there.

posted 04-12-2011 02:19 PM               

Long Island, only a few miles to the east, has a rich history in aviation and space travel and Intrepid has played important roles in early spaceflight. Once you add in the potential tourists coming to see her only a few blocks away from the 'Crossroads of the World' it does seem like a good decision.

However, I was just recently at the Intrepid and was quite disappointed in the condition of the aircraft placed on her flight deck. Flat tires, glazed cockpits, chipping paint and other issues, I was quite disheartened to see it all. I understand they are exposed to the elements and are on top of saltwater but I thought there would be better conservation to the planes.

posted 04-12-2011 02:25 PM               

quote:

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Originally posted by MrSpace86:
I won't even touch the decision to put Enterprise in NY.

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posted 04-12-2011 02:27 PM               

Looks like they came close though. One reasonably close to Disney World and one 30 odd miles from Disneyland. Who is going to argue that Washington DC isn't a Mickey Mouse organization either?

NYC though... okay, I like to visit there for work and play more than any other place in the US so what the heck.

I sort of feel sorry for Seattle though. Mostly for Tom's sake... but they have a real nice museum too.

What are we gonna do? These decisions are made by people smarter than we are. Right?

posted 04-12-2011 03:18 PM            

Here in Seattle, there were a lot of sad faces today. The Museum of Flight along with some 20+ organizations across the USA were disappointed with the decision. I'm just happy that there's at least shuttle coming to the west coast. I do feel bad about the midwest. I'm looking forward to heading to California and returning to Florida to see the shuttles there.

posted 04-12-2011 03:29 PM               

I was hoping that #3 would go to Dayton (my second alltime favorite museum behind NASM) and that #4 would go to Seattle as I hear they have a world class facility.

I do hope to make the LA trip someday as I have already seen #4 at NASM.