Failure to Launch: More Info on NASA's Decision
After months of lobbying for one of the three retiring NASA Space Shuttles, it appears that the Museum of Flight's chances of securing one are officially over.
Over the past several months, at least 20 museums across the country have been waged in a bidding war for these legendary space crafts. The Museum of Flight even went so far as to begin building an exhibit specifically for a space shuttle in spite of the fact that there were several other institutions that were believed to have stronger claims. Strong contenders included the National Museum of the Air Force in Dayton, Ohio, and the Space Center in Houston.
According to NASA officials, the Space Shuttles will now call the following museums home. The Smithsonian's Air and Space Museum in D.C. says hello to Discovery, while at the same time they will say goodbye to Enterprise, which will now live at New York City's Intrepid Sea, Air, and Space Museum. The Kennedy Space Center down in Cape Canaveral, Florida secured the Space Shuttle Atlantis. And -- arguably the most surprising of the selections -- the California Science Center in L.A. gains the Endeavor.
While it is sad to lose in this space race, the Museum of Flight still boasts and impressive space craft collection. Head on by the museum today to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the first human in space.
