Museum Of Flight Wants Retired Space Shuttle

"Spaced Out" by Seattlest Flickr Pool Contributor Seattle Daily Photo.

Four years ago, President Bush announced his Vision for Space Exploration; we would, he said, aim to return to the moon by 2020, develop an "extend[ed] human presence across the solar system," and build new vehicles to take us where we want to go in space. Part of that plan was a request to NASA to complete the International Space Station, retire the current, aging space shuttles (to be replaced by a new Crew Exploration Vehicle) and to close the space shuttle program facilities across the country by 2010. The time is drawing steadily near for Congress to reaffirm that course of action. King5 tells us that Seattle's Museum of Flight, on East Marginal Way, could be home to one of those shuttles in a year or two, and that, of course, would be downright really frickin' cool.

It has to go somewhere! Right? Why not here, near Boeing, which--as King5 pointedly clarifies--is a "major contractor" for NASA? Why not within tourist-bussable distance from downtown? Think of the elementary school field trip possibilities! A space shuttle, right here! We're unabashedly enthusiastic as well as curious about space stuff, even in the midst of our national economic crunch. Hopefully this goes through for the Museum of Flight, of which we're also fond. (That's a damn good museum, if you haven't been recently.)

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By Katelyn in News on December 23, 2008 9:00 AM

Comments [rss]

grid

er, Orbiter.

grid

but then, maybe if the Smithsonian gets one MoF would get Enterprise, the full sized aerodynamic testing model that they launched into the air off a specialized 747.

in some ways that's actually more appropriate than an actual shuttle.

grid

As COMTE points out, two of the three are essentially spoken for.

I think that JSC in Houston has to be a favourite for the third, and if all things are equal regarding the financial commitments, I'd guess the third goes to JSC over MOF.

COMTE

Of the three shuttles in active service, it looks like one has already been tapped to go to Smithsonian Air & Space Museum in D.C. (which is a bummer, since they already have Enterprise at their satellite facility in Virginia), and I'd be willing to bet one of the other two will end up at KSC in FL, leaving just one to go out to whichever museum can pony up in excess of $40 mm.

Boeing Air & Space does have a good shot at it, IMO, what with, as you say "The Big B" being bother a major construction as well as operations contractor for STS, and with the added advantage of being adjacent to a runway capable of handling the modified 747 required to transport it, which is a prerequisite for acquisition.

Plus, I'm guessing Paul Allen, being the space geek he is, simply won't be able to resist the temptation to add one of these to his "collection", and even in today's economy $40 mm is still pocket-change to him.