Topic: Intrepid Sea, Air & Space: shuttle Enterprise
Robert Pearlman Editor
Posts: 48663 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999
posted 11-16-2012 02:41 PM
Intrepid release
Was Space Shuttle Enterprise damaged during Hurricane Sandy?
The shuttle sustained only minor damage to her vertical stabilizer and work will begin to repair this as soon as possible.
Will the Space Shuttle Pavilion be open when the museum re-opens?
The complex, including the former USS Intrepid, Growler submarine, and Concorde will open first, with a rebuilt Space Shuttle Pavilion to follow.
During the rebuild of the Space Shuttle Pavilion, is the shuttle okay being exposed to the elements?
The Enterprise is built to withstand the elements and in the past has been exposed for lengthy periods of time. However we are working diligently on covering her during the winter months as we redesign and re-erect a pavilion experience.
Robert Pearlman Editor
Posts: 48663 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999
posted 11-20-2012 11:18 AM
The remains of Enterprise's torn pavilion have now been removed and it appears the damaged area of the orbiter's vertical stabilizer has been temporarily sealed to (presumably) prevent moisture from entering the structure.
posted 11-20-2012 11:49 AM
While I hate that any damage has occurred, it appears to be cosmetic rather than structural. If that was an aircraft vertical stabilizer, the area would typically be called a bullet or close out fairing and it's purpose would be aerodynamic rather than structural.
The same could be said for this spacecraft/glider and as such, the replacement part, although not original, would not detract from the artifact on display. I have seen many an aircraft on display at various museums in which you can tell that there is a "replaced part" rather than the original.
We can argue all day long on the merits of an inflatable building and what could have been done better, but due to the outcome of this natural disaster, Enterprise did much better than a lot of business enterprises in the path of Sandy.
p51 Member
Posts: 1748 From: Olympia, WA Registered: Sep 2011
posted 11-20-2012 12:44 PM
I didn't realize they still had the tail cone, did NASA give that to them after the final SCA delivery flight?
cycleroadie Member
Posts: 454 From: Apalachin, NY USA Registered: May 2011
posted 11-20-2012 12:48 PM
I believe the tailcone for Entreprise is different than the one for the actual orbiters.
Robert Pearlman Editor
Posts: 48663 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999
posted 11-20-2012 03:31 PM
There were only two tailcone assemblies built; the one on Enterprise was modified for use by the other orbiters and then retrofitted for Enterprise's delivery to New York. NASA then gave the Intrepid the tailcone, as the museum ultimately plans to display Enterprise as it appeared during the Approach and Landing Test Program.
p51 Member
Posts: 1748 From: Olympia, WA Registered: Sep 2011
posted 11-20-2012 04:35 PM
That makes sense to me. Enterprise is the orbiter most associated with the tail cone in any operational sense. I can't imagine any of the 'flown in space' orbiters being displayed with a cone.
Robert Pearlman Editor
Posts: 48663 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999
posted 12-17-2012 02:48 PM
The Intrepid plans to re-open its Space Shuttle Pavilion in the spring (the museum itself reopens on Friday, Dec. 21).
As this video shows, the tip of the vertical stabilizer that broke off during the storm was recovered and is now being reinstalled.
A longer update is coming to collectSPACE this week, but the Interpid will be working to cover Enterprise during the winter months before a new pavilion is raised next year.
Hart Sastrowardoyo Member
Posts: 3458 From: Toms River, NJ Registered: Aug 2000
posted 12-17-2012 04:38 PM
Selling those rivets they removed from the vertical stabilizer might make a nice fundraiser for the Intrepid...
Robert Pearlman Editor
Posts: 48663 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999
The New York City museum home of NASA's retired space shuttle Enterprise is set to reopen to the public Friday (Dec. 21), following its closure in late October due to Hurricane Sandy and the damage that the "superstorm" caused to the facility.
Visitors to the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum, which is located at Pier 86 on Manhattan's west side, will once again be able to board the converted World War II aircraft carrier, the U.S.S. Intrepid, and tour many of its maritime and aviation exhibits.
Enterprise's exhibit however, won't be restored until next spring. Guests this week will be able to see the prototype space shuttle from the museum's flight deck and along the pier...
"In the coming weeks, [the] Intrepid will be constructing scaffolding around Enterprise that will allow us to drape a protective cover over her to protect her from the winter elements including snow, rain and winds," a spokesman told collectSPACE.com.
SpaceAngel Member
Posts: 397 From: Maryland Registered: May 2010
posted 12-20-2012 02:53 PM
How was the tip of Enterprise's tail found as well as recovered?
Robert Pearlman Editor
Posts: 48663 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999
posted 12-20-2012 02:59 PM
The Intrepid staff didn't say, but I suspect it was just sitting on the flight deck near Enterprise.
Jay Chladek Member
Posts: 2272 From: Bellevue, NE, USA Registered: Aug 2007
posted 12-20-2012 11:07 PM
More than likely that was the case. Its not like the winds were necessarily high enough to send the tail tip flying. So more than likely what happened is once the fabric over-stressed the rivets, the tail tip just broke and fell down (or perhaps dangled for a little bit under the fabric before finally popping loose and dropping down to the deck).
It looks like there is some scuffed foam tile on the front of the tail that will likely need some filler before painting as well since the fabric flapping in the breeze appeared to rub it a bit. It does appear that otherwise the Enterprise emerged a little battered, but not broken (at least not irrepairably broken anyway).
For what its worth, I know I sounded a bit ticked in my postings back when this happened. At the time I was. I know people lost their lives, jobs, houses and ways of life on the coast. I've got friends that live there and some friends of mine have family members that live there also.
I also know that Enterprise ultimately is just a thing and it isn't a replacement for human life. Ultimately, I am glad that Intrepid is going to open again and generate some income as their pier level facility did take quite a bit of damage (practically wrecking the whole electrical system in the process with flooding, which likely needed replacement).
It has been a learning experience and has shown that people and the things they build ultimately don't last forever. Hopefully in a few years, Intrepid can look back on Sandy as a time that challenged them and Enterprise. It may have bent them, but it didn't break them and ultimately they were given a second chance. I wish them luck.
Robert Pearlman Editor
Posts: 48663 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999
posted 01-04-2013 07:09 AM
Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum release
Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum to Open Temporary Exhibition Showcasing the Legacy of Space Shuttle Enterprise
"Space Shuttle Enterprise: A Pioneer" — a new exhibition that explores the history of Enterprise and its critical role in the development of the space shuttle — will open to the public on Thursday, January 17 at the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum, located at Pier 86 (46th Street and 12th Avenue) in Manhattan.
"Space Shuttle Enterprise: A Pioneer" introduces Enterprise with compelling artifacts of the era — such as space shuttle cockpit instruments, a flight helmet and model orbiters — as well as archival images and video clips to illustrate the history and significance of the prototype orbiter. The exhibition celebrates the pilots and engineers who contributed to the Enterprise story in addition to the technological innovations that helped to make it an icon of the space program.
This exhibition will also include photographs crowd sourced from the public who have documented Enterprise's journey from its origins in the 1970s to its expedition to the Intrepid Museum last spring. The exhibition will be open to the public through Spring 2013.
In April 2012, the space shuttle Enterprise arrived in New York City and in July 2012, Enterprise joined the collection of the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum in a temporary, climate-controlled Space Shuttle Pavilion on the Flight Deck. However in late October, Hurricane Sandy damaged the pavilion, and as a result, Enterprise itself is not currently on public display.
The exhibition is free with the price of admission to the museum. The museum is currently offering a Gift of Intrepid "buy one, get one free" promotion through February 15, 2013. The special social media offer is available to those who are Facebook fans of the Museum or those who follow the museum on Twitter. Visitors must print and bring with them the special coupon posted.
Robert Pearlman Editor
Posts: 48663 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999
posted 01-11-2013 09:07 AM
The Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum has started the process of constructing temporary scaffolding and a protective cover over Space Shuttle Enterprise, as it works to reopen the Space Shuttle Pavilion for Spring 2013. The process is expected to take 4-5 days.
insomniaceve New Member
Posts: From: Registered:
posted 01-12-2013 02:59 PM
I hope I can get a better view of Enterprise when it opens again in the Spring. It was a bit tight in there when the bubble hood was up.
Robert Pearlman Editor
Posts: 48663 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999
A new museum exhibit that reveals the history of NASA's original space shuttle is opening in New York City this week, just as the prototype orbiter is being put under cover.
"Space Shuttle Enterprise: A Pioneer," a new exhibition that explores the history of Enterprise and its role in the development of the space shuttle, will debut to the public on Thursday (Jan. 17) at the Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum, located at Pier 86 (46th Street and 12th Avenue) in Manhattan.
The temporary display is hosted on the hangar deck of the converted U.S.S. Intrepid, a World War II aircraft carrier. The exhibit celebrates the people, the pilots and engineers who contributed to the orbiter's story, as well as made the technological innovations that helped to make Enterprise an icon of the space program.
Robert Pearlman Editor
Posts: 48663 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999
Enterprise, NASA's original prototype space shuttle, is now more than just a historic spacecraft. It is a historic place, too.
Located at the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum in New York City, the test orbiter has been added to the National Register of Historic Places, becoming the first of NASA's retired space shuttles to receive the distinction.
"We are extremely proud to be the home of the space shuttle Enterprise," Susan Marenoff-Zausner, president of the Intrepid, said in a statement. "It is an honor to receive this distinction from the National Park Service."
Myron New Member
Posts: 4 From: Registered: Feb 2004
posted 04-10-2013 08:40 AM
Any info on the new Enterprise exhibit? The original exhibit was blown-down after Super Storm Sandy. The Enterprise was completely outdoors in the sun last time I saw her on Saturday. When will the new pavilion be built?
I know there will be an additional fee, probably around $10 to walk around. She still has the tail cone. Most shuttles are exhibited without the ugly cone. I wonder where the engines are kept?
Editor's note: Threads merged.
Robert Pearlman Editor
Posts: 48663 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999
posted 04-10-2013 08:45 AM
Construction of the new pavilion will begin soon, with an expected public opening in early summer.
Enterprise is keeping its tail cone by design; though it flew captive tests without it, the orbiter's [initial] crewed approach and landing tests were made with the cone attached. The Intrepid plans to use the exhibit to tell the story of that testing — and may eventually return the orbiter to its 1977 appearance (Enterprise was re-painted in the 1980s to look more like the other orbiters in preparation for its Paris Air Show appearance).
Enterprise's mock engines are still installed under the tail cone.
onesmallstep Member
Posts: 1352 From: Staten Island, New York USA Registered: Nov 2007
posted 04-10-2013 09:02 AM
All taxi, captive-inert and captive-active flights in the ALT program were made with the tail cone on. Except for the first three free flights, the cone came off for the final two landings in the program.
Robert Pearlman Editor
Posts: 48663 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999
posted 04-10-2013 09:45 AM
Thanks for the correction, and of course that makes much more sense. The tail cone was used to provide additional aerodynamic stability, something desired until NASA was confident the shuttle could fly safely without it — as the orbiters would returning from space.
Robert Pearlman Editor
Posts: 48663 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999
Space shuttle Enterprise, NASA's test orbiter that first arrived in New York City one year ago this month, is soon to have a new home.
As aerial photographs taken on Friday (April 26) show, the construction of a new exhibition pavilion is taking shape above and around and prototype space shuttle on board the flight deck of the Intrepid, Sea, Air & Space Museum, a converted World War II aircraft carrier that is docked on the west side of Manhattan.
"The one-year anniversary of Enterprise's arrival in New York City was an exciting milestone for the museum and everyone whose imagination is captured by manned space flight," a spokesperson for the Intrepid said in a statement provided to collectSPACE. "We are currently completing the framework of the new Space Shuttle Pavilion that will serve as the home to the Enterprise exhibit."
"We will soon be installing the outer skin of the structure, then completing the interior, in time for the opening this summer," the spokesperson said.
(Many thanks to WCBS 880 and their helicopter traffic reporter Tom Kaminski for the great aerial photographs featured in this article.)
Robert Pearlman Editor
Posts: 48663 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999
Space shuttle Enterprise, NASA's retired prototype orbiter, will reopen on public display July 10, just shy of one year since its exhibit in New York first opened.
Enterprise's new "Space Shuttle Pavilion," located at the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum in Manhattan, replaces its original display home that was destroyed by Hurricane Sandy in October 2012. The replacement structure is now under construction around and above the prototype shuttle and is expected to be completed over the coming weeks.
Robert Pearlman Editor
Posts: 48663 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999
Entering the Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum's new "Space Shuttle Pavilion," which opened in New York City on Wednesday (July 10), visitors are first greeted by the sound of astronauts exchanging radio calls with flight controllers about guiding a winged spacecraft to a safe touchdown.
The late-1970's audio recordings, which capture the critical approach and landing tests that preceded 30 years of U.S. space exploration, juxtapose the start of the space shuttle Enterprise's use as a NASA prototype with its final role — located just a few more steps into the new pavilion — as a public attraction and educational exhibit.
Posts: 1352 From: Staten Island, New York USA Registered: Nov 2007
posted 07-10-2013 09:24 AM
Nice 'rebirth' for Enterprise! Now everything is better laid out and bigger with the addition of the Soyuz capsule and other artifacts. I wonder if the US flag that was flown during her trip to NY and displayed in the original structure survived and is again on display? I'll have to check during an upcoming visit.
Robert Pearlman Editor
Posts: 48663 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999
posted 07-10-2013 12:11 PM
quote:Originally posted by onesmallstep: I wonder if the US flag that was flown during her trip to NY and displayed in the original structure survived and is again on display?
It did and it is:
MrSpace86 Member
Posts: 1618 From: Gardner, KS Registered: Feb 2003
posted 07-10-2013 04:09 PM
Are the cockpit panels on display the original ones that were inside Enterprise?
There doesn't seem to be many artifacts on display but this display seems a lot nicer than the first one. Seems like the structure housing it is different... any pics from the outside?
Robert Pearlman Editor
Posts: 48663 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999
posted 07-10-2013 04:38 PM
The flight deck controls may be from Enterprise, but neither the Smithsonian or Intrepid know for certain. They are of the type that were installed in Enterprise for the Approach and Landing Tests.
If the weather cooperates, I plan to go back to the Intrepid to photograph the pavilion from the neighboring pier.
onesmallstep Member
Posts: 1352 From: Staten Island, New York USA Registered: Nov 2007
posted 07-11-2013 09:40 AM
Some of the artifacts on display were carried over from the exhibit "Space Shuttle Enterprise: A Pioneer" which opened in a gallery in Intrepid's Hangar Deck in January of this year. The cockpit instrument panel, for example. I assume the others, like items from Adm. Richard Truly's collection, will be kept in storage pending completion of a permanent structure to house the orbiter.
As for the shape of the current pavilion; I drove by Intrepid yesterday and the best way to describe it is an upside down boat or jagged pyramid. You wouldn't know there was a spacecraft inside it!
Robert Pearlman Editor
Posts: 48663 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999
posted 07-11-2013 10:34 AM
Here are a few photographs of the Space Shuttle Pavilion, as viewed from Pier 84:
Robert Pearlman Editor
Posts: 48663 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999
posted 12-11-2014 09:01 AM
Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum release
Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum Launches iPhone Mobile App Featuring Space Shuttle Enterprise and Exhibition
Museum Experience Surrounding the Iconic Space Shuttle Enhanced with New Technology, Valuable Content and More
The Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum today announces that its free iPhone mobile application Mission Intrepid: Explore Enterprise is now available in the App Store. The app, available for iOS 7, provides an enhanced experience in the Museum's Space Shuttle Pavilion and includes nine different interactive experiences for visitors to unlock while exploring the space shuttle Enterprise and its surrounding exhibitions.
The Museum partnered with New York-based digital innovation company Makeable to create an engaging, interactive app as a companion to the Museum's Space Shuttle Pavilion. Visitors standing next to various exhibit zones can access different hotspots throughout the Pavilion, including such points of interest as the shuttle's tiles, cargo bay and cockpit, which will then unlock deeper storytelling experiences. As visitors move through the app, they will learn about NASA, space travel, aerospace and flight, Enterprise and the space shuttle program through fully immersive augmented reality experiences, behind-the-scenes videos and more. Though it is designed to interact directly with the Museum's exhibits, the app provides great content for users to explore outside the Museum as well.
"In developing this app, we hope to provide our visitors with deeper knowledge and enhanced experiences that inspire innovation through the fascinating science, history and human effort behind Enterprise and the space shuttle program," said Susan Marenoff-Zausner, President of the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum. "We are thrilled to connect our guests to a higher level of content in such a cutting-edge yet accessible way."
To achieve the technology of Mission Intrepid: Explore Enterprise, Makeable's team of experience designers worked closely with Current Studios, a specialized augmented reality platform provider, to create fully immersive A/R experiences that bring the Enterprise and its science and innovation to life.
"Our goal was to celebrate the space shuttle as an innovation of innovations," stated Makeable co-founder Tom Ajello. "The app brings the science and innovation of Enterprise to life by telling its story through the lens of some of its most intriguing elements. Literally each and every part of the orbiter has a story and, as we all know, a ceramic tile is not just a ceramic tile. Seeing a video or animation of it in action really makes a world of difference when you're trying to comprehend its design, integration and importance to the space shuttle."
Mission Intrepid: Explore Enterprise is optimized for iPhone and can be downloaded free from the App Store.
p51 Member
Posts: 1748 From: Olympia, WA Registered: Sep 2011
posted 12-11-2014 05:05 PM
Any updates on that permanent building that was promised to NASA would someday exist? Are they still looking to build a permanent structure for the Enterprise?
Robert Pearlman Editor
Posts: 48663 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999
posted 12-11-2014 05:17 PM
To my knowledge, the Intrepid is still moving forward with its plans for an expanded education center, which will become the permanent home for Enterprise. That said, there haven't been any recent press releases or news stories to advance what has already been reported. When there is news, you can be sure you will read it here.
(And just to clarify, NASA's display requirements were met with the current pavilion. The space agency is not waiting on the Intrepid to build a new building.)
Hart Sastrowardoyo Member
Posts: 3458 From: Toms River, NJ Registered: Aug 2000
posted 12-11-2014 08:07 PM
One thing about the app, which I pointed out to Intrepid on their Facebook page: The app mentions all shuttles have a HUD, including Enterprise. I thought Challenger was the first to have a HUD, Columbia was refitted to include it, and Enterprise never had it since her flights were over after the ALTs (and thus there was no need for it.)
So, is the app wrong? None of the cockpit photos of Enterprise shows a cutout for a HUD.
posted 03-18-2015 03:12 AM
I may try to go to see the Enterprise at the Intrepid museum when I am in New York City. Has anyone been there who can tell me how long it takes on a weekday afternoon to go go through the line and get in to see Enterprise?
posted 03-18-2015 07:17 AM
Normally, the line isn't long at all especially on a weekday afternoon. When I went last year during the week, there wasn't a line at all.
space1 Member
Posts: 915 From: Danville, Ohio Registered: Dec 2002
posted 03-18-2015 08:47 AM
quote:Originally posted by Hart Sastrowardoyo: The app mentions all shuttles have a HUD...
You are right. Enterprise never had a HUD. The first flights of Columbia were without a HUD, which was installed with modifications performed during 1984.
Robert Pearlman Editor
Posts: 48663 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999
Three years to day after arriving in New York City for its public display, NASA's prototype space shuttle Enterprise on Monday (April 27) was dedicated to the astronauts who lost their lives in the pursuit of space exploration.
Family members of the Apollo 1, Challenger STS-51L and Columbia STS-107 crews joined NASA officials aboard the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum for the dedication. The Intrepid, a converted World War 2 aircraft carrier, has been home to the Enterprise since 2012.
"It is our great privilege to stand alongside the families of the brave crew members of Apollo 1, Challenger, and Columbia as we dedicate space shuttle Enterprise to their heroism, vision, passion and sacrifice," Susan Marenoff-Zausner, the museum's president, said. "The spirit of the men and women of these missions will live on, right here, in this magnificent spacecraft and in the programs and exhibits it motivates, now and in the future."
Hart Sastrowardoyo Member
Posts: 3458 From: Toms River, NJ Registered: Aug 2000
posted 05-28-2017 11:59 PM
I visited Enterprise and the pavilion Saturday; the last time I was on Intrepid was September 2016. Some notes:
General admission used to be one price, then another with the pavilion added ($24 and $31 respectively, if I remember correctly). Now it's one price; general admission now includes admission to the shuttle pavilion ($33).
The T-38 (which served as chase during the Approach and Landing Test program) was moved from the bow end, near the A-12, to a more logical place almost next to the pavilion.
Similarly, the shuttle landing simulator was moved from the hangar deck near the mock Gemini capsule to again a more logical place, in the pavilion itself.
posted 11-16-2012 02:41 PM
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