We should have got a real one, but arguing over Explorer and Enterprise is silly -- Enterprise was a glider that never went to space. Explorer is just as good -- I didn't initially realize we would get this mock up.
Is the shell or body real? Or, is it all just one big bogus ship made to look like a shuttle? Side tidbit...my Dad was project manager of the project to build the Space Shuttle Simulator at JSC...which they used to train the astronauts for shuttle missions. He also trained astronauts back in the single man capsule days (Gemini I think) and trained the original 7. He has a nice picture of him training John Glenn in the capsule simulator back in like 1960 or 1961. My Dad mentioned they were disassembling the shuttle simulator in JSC and moving it somewhere (I forget where he said...a museum I think). My Dad was one of those lucky ones who graduated The Citadel as an aerospace engineer back in 1959 (or around there) and was one of the original 300 to work for NASA. He started off in astronaut training. Part of his duties also included traveling to various spots around the world to monitor and talk to the astronauts while they were on space missions in places like Hawaii and some other small island I forget the name of. He mentioned he monitored the first mission when they sent the monkey into space and said they almost lost the monkey due to a cooling (or coolant) problem which he pointed out and they ended up correcting. The first shuttle mission with astronauts Young and Crippen...my Dad got a lot of awards and recognition for that because it was an obvious milestone he had much involvement in. Anyway, I was always enamoured with the stuff my old man got to do in his job at NASA and his interactions with many of the astronauts. He has so much memorabilia and stuff that is worth some good money these days I bet. Was looking at his scrapbook this past weekend.
Random article I found about the replica coming to Houston. The picture says it all. This comment hurt a little bit
This hasn't been a good week for Houston. - We have a thread in the GARM celebrating the spurs not breaking our 2nd longest regular-season winning streak (while they're on the way to winning their 5th championship in 13 years) - We have the Astros, who are playing their last year in the NL, currently free-falling after starting the season just a little better than we all expected (which isn't saying much) - We have a fake space shuttle being sent to us on a giant TRASH BARGE... Football season can't get here soon enough.
Replica Shuttle...what does that even mean...and its more pathetic to think that the city of Houston cant have one of the 4 real shuttle that NASA had...thank you Obozo the Clown...
late to this thread.. but just saw that the California Science Center is getting a SPACE SHUTTLE the Endeavour to boot! WOOT WOOT.. that place has free admission too and quite a nice facility. I'm definitely checking it out when it's on display..
How can I say cool story bro without being sarcastic. That is really bad ass man, you must be so proud of him. The stories he must have, incredible.
We were never gonna get a shuttle that flew into space; a real shuttle. Between this and the Enterprise, I think I'm happy taking the replica. Space Center Houston is geared more toward kids anyways, and this gives them a chance to explore inside the shuttle, instead of looking at it from the outside.
here is more background info on the Shuttle Houston is getting.. still seems a bit crappy even though I dont live in Houston. It's like .. aww you guys suck you cant have the real one. .here take this fake one that you can climb and touch.. ohhhhh
more information .. its like getting the left over garbage now that KSC get's a real one... Houston can get the fake one .. it wont even have the cool EXPLORER name. .its just called a replica now..
Is that really why people visit Houston? Sure it is one of them, but I figured the Medical Center, the Galleria, Restaurants, Theatre District (2nd only to NY's), 5 professional sports teams (we still have the hockey team right?), night life isn't bad it is just spread out. Compared to NY we look like Montana. But we have a connection to NASA, everyone knows we have a historic space program, why not put it in a city involved in that historic program. It's just kind of insulting that they overlooked us and put it in NY which already has so much to offer and had NOTHING to do with the space program. In the end I just don't care
the replica Houston is getting is the Explorer but it looks like the name is changed to just Replica.. and no the Explorer is not as good as Enterprise.. The Enterprise was built by NASA to acutal specs and if not for design changes would have flown to space.. Explorer was a mock up built by Guard Lee based on blue print and archives.. The interior isnt even accurate...
Once again the City of Houston, NASA and the entire Clear Lake area stand at the cross roads of history. To the victors go the spoils. That is the first thing that comes to my mind with this historic event. With that I feel it important to say the following. Today we received a model aircraft. While the model looks like a space shuttle it is still a model. It was constructed for the purpose of showing visitors at Kennedy Space Center what a shuttle looks like. It is not nor will it ever be a Shuttle. The ending of the Shuttle Program took many things with it. Most of my life I watched the Shuttle. I saw men and women, family and friends work countless hours in support of its mission. I also worked to support the program in my profession for a number of years. I saw my Father put everything he had into that program and NASA. All of this I saw from the Clear Lake area. I watched my Father leave this earth from Kennedy Space Center for the last time on January 28, 1986. Not only did I feel the pain as did most of the Nation but I saw a community in tears upon my return to Clear Lake. We healed, but the scars remained. The bad memories were kept at bay and the good ones kept us going. The idea of continued exploration kept the community going. Dedication kept NASA and her people pressing forward. The pain returned for a second time as we all watched the return of Columbia. The community came together and worked on getting the vehicle and her Crew home. We cried again. We struggled again. Together the community fought through the tears and pain to proceed. We rose from the carnage and continued forward. Forward to the betterment of man. To honor the memory of our lost loved ones. We the Clear Lake population came together and moved NASA in a positive direction. How does this equate to the quote “To the victors go the spoils”. Clear Lake, Houston, NASA and Texas received a model. I was told by the media and several other sources that the decision to place the retired shuttles at their final locations was not political. I was further told that the decision was based on availability to the masses. They wanted a place that more people could visit. Well I tell you this. I am not blind. I see clearly the politics involved with this move. I also know that the Visitor Center at JSC is full of tourists on a regular basis. I see the trams full of people all year round. In the cold, heat and rain the trams are full of visitors. I know that for the people in the middle of the country you have to travel now to the east or west coast in order to see a Space Shuttle. You can come to Houston and look at a replica but you cannot see a real one. I also know that almost all items from JSC associated with training for the missions have been removed and shipped off to other locations. This folks is a slap in the face to the population of Texas but more especially to the men and women of JSC. The children who grew up around JSC and watched their parents pour their souls into the program. The world and the rest of the country only watched when major discovery or tragedy happened. We watched all the time. We grew with NASA and molded our communities around NASA. The same occurred at Kennedy and around her community. We have three shuttles. One at Kennedy which I completely agree with and support. One should have come to Houston and the third to a state on the west coast. They chose California. This in my mind would make them available for the largest number of people to see them. I would rather have the trainers that were housed in building 9 instead of a model. The trainers were actually used in the program. One might say that it is not my decision to make and that I speak from a selfish point of view. They are entitled to their opinion as I am to mine. I see the politics involved with these decisions and I feel the pain that the dedicated men and women of the Clear Lake area feel. I know that we remained a part of NASA during the slow times as well as the exciting, ground breaking and Historic times. For JSC to be treated as a place not suited for a retired shuttle is unacceptable. The rest of the country followed NASA on the highlight real. We lived the entire game. To the victors go the spoils. The rest of us get the model kit. And with that the decimation of a legacy. -Janelle Onizuka
