posted 03-29-2014 09:31 AM               

quote:

---

Originally posted by JSC01:
She's almost glowing now, with her new exterior renovations and tile work.

---

NASA 905's four engine mounts are also now there, awaiting the arrival of the rest of the Shuttle Carrier Aircraft in late April:

posted 03-31-2014 09:51 AM               

Dates set for move of NASA shuttle carrier aircraft to Space Center Houston

A historic NASA jumbo jet has been cleared for its final takeoff — not into the air, but on a road trip through the streets of Houston to the site of its future exhibit.

The space agency's original Shuttle Carrier Aircraft (SCA), a modified Boeing 747 jetliner that for more than 30 years ferried NASA's now-retired orbiters across the country, will make the journey from Houston's Ellington Field to Space Center Houston, the official visitor center for the Johnson Space Center, over the course of two nights at the end of April.

"The BIG Move!" Space Center Houston officials wrote on Facebook. "The Shuttle Carrier Aircraft will start its move from Ellington Field to Space Center Houston on April 28."

posted 04-05-2014 10:48 AM               

Our 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft is on its final approach with the big move slated the nights of April 28 and 29, arriving early on April 30 at the nonprofit Space Center Houston. We need your help to bring it in for a landing! Pledge a donation today by texting "Shuttle747" to 41444.

A portion of Highway 3 (Old Galveston Road) will close in various stages 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. April 28. Then on April 29, a portion of NASA Parkway will close 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. Both roads will close as the 1,000-foot convoy approaches and will re-open after it passes.

posted 04-25-2014 07:07 AM               

Shuttle Carrier Aircraft staged for 'Big Move'

With the "big move" of the Shuttle Carrier Aircraft (SCA) "NASA 905" from Ellington Field to Space Center Houston set to begin Monday night (April 28), the partially-disassembled, modified Boeing 747 was repositioned from a tarmac to a taxiway late Thursday evening (April 24).

Traveling atop four self-propelled trailers and three tractor-trailers, the SCA convoy stretched more than a 1,000 feet when in motion.

When it departs the airport on Monday, the jumbo jet will move nearly eight miles over the course of two nights, traveling nearly six miles on April 28 and two miles on April 29. It arrives early April 30 at Space Center Houston, where it will go on public display in 2015.

posted 04-25-2014 11:17 PM               

And Fitz Fulton — who flew the first flights of 905 and through the ALT program.

posted 04-28-2014 06:17 AM               

NASA shuttle carrier jumbo jet ready to roll on Houston road trip

"Oversize Load."

So cautions bright orange signs now positioned alongside roads leading to and from NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston. The traffic advisories were placed in advance of the space agency's Shuttle Carrier Aircraft (SCA) being moved, set to begin Monday night (April 28).

"Oversize" though, might be an understatement.

The Boeing 747 jumbo jet, which for three decades ferried NASA's shuttles across the country, will be transported in its current dismantled state by a convoy stretching 1,000 feet long (305 meters), including four self-propelled trailers and three tractor-trailers. The fuselage, the largest section to be moved intact, roughly spans the length of two NBA basketball courts.

posted 04-28-2014 07:25 PM               

Shuttle Carrier Aircraft convoy begins rolling

NASA's original Shuttle Carrier Aircraft, NASA 905, began its 8-mile, two-night move to Space Center Houston on Monday (April 28) with its 1,000-foot-long convoy staging the partially-dismantled aircraft at the exit to Ellington Field.

Later Monday evening beginning around 9:30 p.m. CDT, the seven self-propelled and tractor trailers will depart the airport's property and slowly proceed overnight down a six mile stretch of Texas Highway 3.

posted 04-29-2014 07:03 AM               

Night flight: NASA shuttle carrier jumbo jet on road trip to Space Center Houston

NASA's original shuttle-carrying jumbo jet is on the move.

Two years after completing its final orbiter ferry flights, the space agency's Shuttle Carrier Aircraft (SCA), a modified Boeing 747, departed an air field in Houston to be placed on public display. The partially-dismantled, white and blue jetliner completed the first leg of its 8-mile (13-kilometer), two-night road trip to Space Center Houston overnight on Monday (April 28).

"Even in a state as big as Texas, a move of this size is unprecedented," Houston Mayor Annise Parker said in a statement. "This massive exhibit will celebrate American ingenuity and create an international icon highlighting Houston's leadership role as Space City, USA."

See here for more photos of the first leg of NASA 905's "big move."

posted 04-30-2014 08:46 AM               

NASA shuttle carrier aircraft arrives 'home sweet home' after Houston road trip

Houston, the SCA has landed.

NASA's original Shuttle Carrier Aircraft (SCA), a modified Boeing 747 jumbo jetliner that for three decades flew the space agency's orbiters coast to coast, completed a two-night road trip to Space Center Houston early Wednesday morning (April 30).

"Home sweet home," the center announced on Twitter.

The 8-mile (13-kilometer) move, which began at Houston's Ellington Field on Monday, was in preparation for the jet to become the centerpiece of a new $12 million, eight-story-tall attraction, which will display the SCA topped with the space shuttle "Independence," a high-fidelity, walk-through orbiter replica. The outdoor exhibit is scheduled to open in March 2015.

posted 05-02-2014 03:17 PM               

Shuttle Carrier Aircraft rolled into place

Just two days after arriving at Space Center Houston, NASA's original Shuttle Carrier Aircraft, NASA 905, was rolled into place for its future public display on a concrete pad outside the Johnson Space Center visitor center.

Boeing's Aircraft on Ground (AOG) team will now spend the next five to seven weeks reassembling the historic plane, reattaching its wings, horizontal and vertical stabilizers and tail cone sections in preparation for the space shuttle Independence mockup being mounted atop the aircraft later this summer.

posted 06-10-2014 01:43 PM               

A replica of a NASA space shuttle on display in Houston was defaced Wednesday (Nov. 27), when vandals sprayed racial and political graffiti on the side of the full-size mockup.

Calloway surrendered to authorities in January after a tip from Crime Stoppers.

posted 07-01-2014 09:18 AM            

Join us for an early morning celebration as a large crane raises Independence, the crowning addition to the 747 exhibition, and places it on top of the mighty shuttle carrier aircraft. The public is invited to join us for a free presentation starting at 7:30 a.m.

Time and dates are subject to change and weather conditions.

posted 07-03-2014 06:38 AM               

Exclusive! Inside Independence: First look at Houston space shuttle's new cockpit

For the first time, Space Center Houston is offering a look inside its space shuttle Independence.

Space Center Houston, the official visitor attraction for the Johnson Space Center in Texas, invited collectSPACE on an exclusive first walkthrough of the newly-upgraded, high-fidelity shuttle replica, before the winged orbiter is hoisted atop NASA's historic Shuttle Carrier Aircraft for display.

The 160,000-pound (72,575-kilogram) shuttle mockup is to be lifted by a 180-foot-tall (55 meter) crane and mounted on the back of the modified Boeing 747 jumbo jet on Aug. 14, weather permitting. The six-story exhibit, which Space Center Houston expects to open to the public in 2015, will recreate the way the shuttle orbiters were flown across the country between landing, processing and launch sites.

It will also provide visitors the chance to go inside both the aircraft and shuttle...

posted 07-23-2014 03:58 PM               

Public Invited to 'Rise of Independence'

The public is invited to see a giant crane lift the space shuttle replica Independence to its permanent home atop Space Center Houston's historic shuttle carrier aircraft on Thursday, Aug. 14.

The free event Rise of Independence will mark another chapter in the ongoing story of Space Center Houston's future world-class exhibit. At 8 a.m., a team of skilled engineers and planners in partnership with the center will lift the massive shuttle by crane (weather permitting).

The ceremony preceding the lift begins at 7:15 a.m. There is limited viewing available on a first-come, first-served basis. The event will be postponed to another date in the event of rain or high winds, but updates will posted on both the center website and Facebook page.

The nonprofit Space Center Houston still needs to raise $2.2 million as part of its $12 million capital campaign called Bring the Legacy Home. It invites people to give by texting "Shuttle747" to 41444 or visiting spacecenter.org/giving.

posted 07-25-2014 11:34 AM               

quote:

---

Originally posted by Ronpur:
And the name still looks temporary.

---

posted 08-12-2014 09:30 AM               

The 243-foot-tall (74 meter) crane has also arrived at the center for the lift.

posted 08-12-2014 04:29 PM            

quote:

---

Originally posted by Cozmosis22:
From the aerial view one can't help but notice that the shuttle's wings look a little... naked.

---

posted 08-12-2014 07:01 PM               

quote:

---

Originally posted by Cozmosis22:
Safe to assume that they plan on adding graphics sometime in the future?

---

posted 08-13-2014 08:30 AM            

A few random things I've been curious about... Hurricane stability, I see that the 747 is bolted to it's pad. Will the interfaces to Independence be enough to ensure the capability to survive a major storm, or will there be any exterior supports required?

posted 08-13-2014 10:44 AM               

quote:

---

Originally posted by Hart Sastrowardoyo:
Will the wings be painted with the NASA meatball (as the shuttles retired)...

---

posted 08-14-2014 01:02 PM               

Rise of Independence: Mock space shuttle hoisted atop historic NASA jet

It was not quite a blast off, but a full-size, replica space shuttle rose into the morning sky over Houston on Thursday (Aug. 14), as it was mounted on top of a historic NASA jumbo jet.

The brief, crane-enabled flight of the mock space shuttle "Independence" was the latest milestone in Space Center Houston's plans for a $12 million attraction with the orbiter and aircraft stack as its unique centerpiece. Once it opens in 2015, visitors will tour inside both the Independence and the Shuttle Carrier Aircraft (SCA), the modified Boeing 747 that NASA used for 30 years to ferry the iconic black-and-white winged spacecraft across the country.

"We gather here today to celebrate one more chapter in an ongoing story," said Richard Allen, Space Center Houston president and CEO, during a ceremony that preceded the space shuttle's rise. "When complete, this one-of-a-kind, eight-story-tall international landmark will be the only place in the world where visitors can see the historic Boeing 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft and full scale space shuttle replica in this configuration."

posted 08-14-2014 01:53 PM            

quote:

---

Originally posted by Robert Pearlman:
As for tailcones, two were originally built, only one (attached to Enterprise) still survives.

---

I don't mean to hijack the thread but what were the circumstances surrounding the second tailcone's demise? Can anyone provide a link or reference?