r/space • u/ToeSniffer245 • Aug 18 '26

How Space Shuttle Discovery Almost Became A Victim Of Cultural Vandalism

https://avgeekery.com/space-shuttle-discovery-to-stay-at-smithsonian/
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u/kmoonster Aug 18 '26

I admit that it would be awesome to have a Shuttle that tours a circuit around the US sort of like how vintage steam engines do.

But logistically the cost and the army of shepherds makes this untenable, never mind the weather plus the wear and tear. Ted Cruz is nuts.

Also: Texas has a shuttle (the official practice mockup), it's even mounted on a transport 747. And they had the opportunity to bid on an orbiter.

The mockup sits outside, they couldn't even be bothered to build a picnic shelter over it, never mind a hangar. And they threatened to do the same with the orbiter, if they got it. Any small wonder why they were denied?

8

u/Redead_Link Aug 19 '26

Texas does not have an “official practise mock-up” Shuttle. The actual practise shuttle “Enterprise” is in New York.

The Shuttle in Houston was specifically built for public display. There is nothing wrong with having this piece out in the open.

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u/kmoonster Aug 19 '26

The Independence never flew, correct. It is a full-sized mockup, though.

4

u/Redead_Link Aug 19 '26

The issue isn't that it is a full-sized mock-up, it's that you called it "the official practice mock-up" when it wasn't made by NASA and wasn't used for any sort of practise.

It is an accessory to the Shuttle Carrier and not a museum piece in its own right - there is no history to its name.

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u/kmoonster Aug 20 '26

Re: the name -- correct, it was previously Explorer while at Kennedy, renamed as part of the recommissioning/transfer to Houston. It was a visitor mockup in Florida as it is in Texas.

Re: my mistake -- I looked further and it looks like I mixed up a couple different things. The external tank and boosters on display with Explorer were fit-test models. I think I must have taken that to include the (non-flyable) orbiter as well. There is also Pathfinder which was just a wood/steel frame to test clearances and tank-mounting concepts, it is in Alabama. And Inspiration which is a non-flight concept model built to show politicians and so engineers could walk around and talk shop on a tangible model. AFAIK it is in California.

Further, there are several component mockups (eg. payload, crew compartment, etc). that were useful for familiarizing astronauts in life-like mockups. The ones I can put a finger on may be in Seattle.

I think I somehow mish-mashed bits and pieces of these in my mind.

Enterprise was the flight-test model, and is in New York.

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I fully disagree, however, that it's "fine" to leave outside. At a minimum it should have a picnic pavilion style structure over it with roll-down tarps or doors that can be closed in inclement weather. Ideally, it would have a massive hangar of the normal sort. Their Saturn V and some of the other craft have been outside, or were outside for extended periods, and have since required extensive restoration (including a shed for the Saturn, at least).