mhonrado073
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Enterprise - The Intrepid Museum in New York City, New York.
Discovery - The Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center, near Dulles International Airport in Washington D.C.
Atlantis - The Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Merritt Island, Florida.
Endeavour - The Samuel Oschin Air and Space Center in Los Angeles, California.
JondorCallsForAid
I saw Endeavour being flown in to LA years ago. I would've missed it too if my bosses hadn't pointed it out the window while we were working. I'm glad I got to see her last flight, even if she wasn't flying on her own power.
SocoFox
Ive seen Atlantis but I *really* want to see Endeavor on the full stack.
ToSisPoS
Dear Leader will soon tell us how he invented the space program
suiseiseki
I've seen all of these in person, save for the Endeavour. They're smaller than you might expect. My grandfather worked on the original STS before these craft adopted the STS title. Original plans were for a permanent nuclear tug in space that could ferry shuttles to a station orbiting the moon.
FetteredJuvenescence
That's a cool plan. Shame we never implemented anything resembling it...
hfctom
"Every so often we parade kids past them and go "See, this was an era when Americans believed in the future. When they thought we could do anything. But then they elected Ronald Reagan who fucked us all and now you kids are going to have to worry about scrounging in large trash mounds for food to eat so the rich can keep on being rich."
bottledham
Baconlovesyoutoo
Watched the first shuttle launch live in 1981. It's loud - like five miles away and we could not hear each other.
Mithi
jarable
One of the unexpected things about them is when you get up close and realized the white outer skin is not aluminum or titanium, it's fabric... basically the same stuff they make firefighters suits from
TacticalBacon00
Yep, I was there a few weeks ago and got some nice shots of Discovery. That was the thing that stood out to me the most...well that and the SR-71 directly in front of it.
TacticalBacon00
Mustang992
I really want to go see Endeavour, Ive been to see Atlantis a few times and they did an AMAZING job setting it up. Its more than just the shuttle. I just about look for any excuse to go to KSC and see it.
dirtyketchup
They erected the Endeavor in LA?! When I went a few years ago, it was still displayed horizontally and raised like 10ft off the ground.
PibbleZoomies
The building is still being constructed around it. I think that may be some architectural concept art.
https://californiasciencecenter.org/exhibits/endeavour-experience/space-shuttle-endeavour
TheCarolingian
As a teenager in sunny West Yorkshire, I worked for a company that made specialist muts and bolts. We made some for the shuttle. There were less than 1% off all the bolts made that were good enough to get sent out.
RocketKokket
Every once in a while I watch the footage of their reentry and landing. Such a giant brick it’s amazing they made it look so smooth
MrStealYourGiF
Forgot to replace the canvas over the gunports after their last mission /s
ImKindaDone
#3 That's a great presentation of the shuttle... Pity it's in Florida so I'll never see it...
Florida is a shithole country...
iamgnat
I live near-ish to the Discovery display (which the Big Bill of Bullshit earmarked money to steal it and ship it to TX) and it is impressive to see it. That LA display complete with the SRBs and tank looks amazing though.
FetteredJuvenescence
I mean, if we've got soft secession on the table lately, this ought to be one of the items we tell the fed to fuck off about.
Filanwizard
Logistics issues already threaded aside, Way more people will get to see it where it is right now. I cannot think of a reason one goes to Texas except to see family, business or changing planes at DFW. But lots of people go to DC for the museums, especially the Smithsonian ones.
ezekiel2320
I agree it shouldn’t be moved. But let’s be factual as best we can (let the idiots on Truth Social disregard facts). Space Center Houston has 1.3 million visitors annually. Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center where Discover is housed has 1.2 million visitors. That sounds hard to believe but when someone visits the DC region, there are hundreds of museums and attractions to see and visit. When visiting Houston, there’s like 3 things. And two of those are NASA. That being said, keep it there.
astronomygeek7
I agree that TX should not have Discovery. I’m worried about it deteriorating during transit, plus the crane mechanism for placing the shuttles on top of the planes has long since been disassembled. Just getting it out of the building it’s housed in might wreck it. Just an ego boost for a state that’s already overly prideful. Unnecessary.
ImKindaDone
They can't move it. The equipment used to mount it to the special 747 has been long-since destroyed..
Oh, and the special 747 has been long-since destroyed..
$85 mill is petty-cash compared to what it would take to actually move it, and yes, it probably wouldn't survive the move...
TheOneGalen
The special 747 has been turned into an interactive exhibit at our space museum here in Houston and is no longer fit to fly.
ImKindaDone
Well at least that.. That was an amazing feat of engineering...it's good that they kept a display to show off back when we were able to do amazing things....
sometimesifeellikeanut
Did you manage to see Enterprise while it was in the Udvar Hazy before Discovery took it's place?
iamgnat
I did indeed. Also got to watch them working on the X-Wing in the restoration bay.
ImKindaDone
I saw this... ;-)
baadf00d
Which one would be the best location to visit?
SergeyPrkl
I liked Intrepid the most. Other stuff and compact exhibition. Naval stuff etc.
YellowYoda
#4 What an incredible sight that must be.
Hurtmeplenty69
I find it kinda interesting that the city of Houston did not get a Space Shuttle to display.
bottledham
Houston would have made more sense than NY or LA.
MrStealYourGiF
Well yah, they were sick of Shuttle, it was always "Houston, we have a problem." and not "So Houston, tell me about YOUR day."
AWarningToOthers
Well at least we know where to find them if the moon megastructure starts to fall out of orbit.
SocoFox
I went to see Atlantis right as the Space Center opened.
There was only about 15 of us in the theatre where it all starts.
When the screen goes translucent and you see Atlantis in front of you as the screen lifts, it's one helluva emotional experience.
JJ626
I saw it twice. Cried both times.
SocoFox
I damn near lost a contact.
murdock89
It's total BS that the air force museum in Dayton didn't get one!
Mithi
They could get the Challenger.
SocoFox
The materials they're made of are so exotic they almost look fake when you see them up close.
TheStreetForce
Whoever designed that display at Udvar Hazy was genius. You walk in on a raised platform. Above your head is a red biplane hanging but you see no other aircraft. You walk towards this observation deck and the shuttle comes into view. Walk a littke further and there is the SR71 right in fron tof it and the whole hangar spread out before you. Concord. Enola Gay. P71. P47. Hornet. Tomcat. Every and any flying thibg you could think if seems to be there. :D :D :D
StephenDeadalus
My friend, a conservation specialist at the Udvar Hazey center near Dulles Airport near me. Took me in for a special tour of Discovery when they brought it in. Was freaking amazing and much smaller inside, but still very freakin cool!
Kilo11
Im lucky enough to have endeavor near by, first time I saw it I couldn't believe the actual size of her, she's fucking massive, I though they were closer to the size of a big bus, boy was I wrong
Beelsebooob
Oddly, I had the exact opposite reaction. I couldn't believe the size of them, but it was much smaller than I thought.
ChicanoBatman
Was lucky enough to watch one land in CA years ago. Damn thing literally fell out of the sky. Not really built for gliding considering the wing span, but really amazing to see.
valen00
The payload bay is about the size of a bus. Give or take.
Tarmaccian
Fun fact: “big bus” is approximately the size of the payload bay. It was designed to be that large to hold the Hubble Space Telescope and similar-sized spy satellites.
MinimumContributor
Apparently it’s off display for years? I had a trip to LA coming up and thought that would be cool to see, oh well
Kilo11
Look it up again should be open now
MinimumContributor
https://californiasciencecenter.org/exhibits/air-space
Kilo11
Nooo I had no clue, i thought it was in its new verticle display and open
Evi1Gav
I've been to enterprise, and compared to the Saturn 5 in Houston, it's tiny.
Justboredtobehere
I had the opposite thought when I saw Discovery. It was big, but not as big as I'd expected. It was smaller than the airliner I flew to Orlando on.
Still an amazing experience.
Kilo11
I mean those fat pigs go to space and travel at 17,000 mph not cruise at 35k feet at 500mph, its incredibly impressive
rubypilgrim
they were impressive craft. They had to be designed to carry a lot of cargo, make it into space and back, and to be able to independently land at a predetermined runway, rather than plopping into a general area of the ocean. Pilots have suggested they were like "flying a brick" because they were mostly gliders upon re-entry (but many of those guys were used to flying fighter planes, so they're biased). The program also lasted twice as long as planned, so these things had to be sturdy.
KaptainObveeus
I had a pilots license rated for flying the shuttles on re-entry technically. I had a glider pilots license which said "all gliders" on it.
rubypilgrim
ha! Nice try. They were classified as spacecraft, not gliders. The shuttle couldn't have used any of the means gliders do to gain altitude. Those stubby wings gave the shuttles a decent glide ratio, some stabilizing and maneuvering ability in atmosphere, but not much in the way of lift. (I know you know all this, but might be interesting factoids to someone who doesn't.) Where did you fly? I hope you got a chance to hang out with the Indrebos at Crazy Creek! Great place for soaring.
cyno01
Checks out...
HelpfulCorn
That's funny. The Concorde was a lot bigger than I thought and the space shuttle a lot smaller
Comboverman
I'm lucky enough to have been at home sick, eating a bowl of Kraft Dinner when I watched the Challenger blow up. The clouds split into a wishbone pattern. It was a lot to process as an eleven-year-old.
Telemapus
You were eating Kraft Dinner at 11:39am (or earlier Central/Western)?
Comboverman
Eastern Time Zone - I was at home "sick" eating KD. I think i only had my Nintendo for a few weeks so I couldn't go to school every day that week.
FetteredJuvenescence
I don't remember why I was home that day. But I was watching it on TV. I remember how big a deal the school had made about Christa McAuliffe in the weeks leading up to the mission. I was still in grade school, but my teacher had us all write essays about her and the disaster. I think mine won some sort of regional award.
bottledham
Meanwhile in Russia:
JohnnyricoMC
It's a goddamn tragedy how everything regarding Buran was abandoned with the collapse of the soviet union.
Radix865
I'm actually sad the Burans were left to rot, they were impressive machines in their own right but only flew once unmanned. And they were not copies of the shuttles, despite similar outward appearance.
bottledham
Indeed. This picture is from a museum group trying to salvage one of them for display so hopefully at least one will be preserved.
slothonthemove
https://speyer.technik-museum.de/en/spaceshuttle-buran
rdewalt
I've been up near touching distance to Discovery at the Udvar blah blah. Right behind where the cameraman is shooting that shot, is an SR71 and a Concorde as well. I have SOOO Many rolls of film shot in that place.
nanners2020
They’re expanding to add 44,000 sqft by 2028. Lots of cool stuff coming
rdewalt
Some old scanned negatives:
/a/RDGbub0
PaleBlueHammer
I just got back from Udvar Hazy a couple of weeks ago, let me see if I can add a few here.
PaleBlueHammer
PaleBlueHammer
PaleBlueHammer
FetteredJuvenescence
Dreamed of flying one of those as a kid. Loved the movie DARYL
Sebastopol140
Beautiful machines... but the shuttle program did slow down space exploration.
Kilo11
It was going to slow down anyway
mhonrado073
Yeah, true.
narcoleptiKnickers
You mean like helping build the ISS? Or being used to launch and later to repair Hubble?
philomemo9000
Soyuz capsules are still running. Does exist a USA capsule? Even nowadays
Warmblood
Also the Orion spacecraft. Also the (somewhat troubled) Boeing Starliner.
Telemapus
Yes.
philomemo9000
Thats from Apollo? They cancelled capsules program because sts?
Telemapus
The first post is a SpaceX Dragon capsule which flies regularly. The second pic is the one Trump cancelled, it's called Orion and they will still launch Artemis II and Artemis III.
CommentFarmer708
Orion isn't cancelled. Deep Space Gateway, the main use case for Orion, got cancelled. It's a subtle but important distinction. Orion can still be used for HLS missions
Telemapus
Also the US was about to get this one too but Trump cancelled it because of the commercial one's owner being a buddy of his.
hfctom
My space-nerd cousin said the problem with the shuttle is all the additional space exploration tools the shuttle was built to support were canceled (station, eventual mission back to the Moon, colonization) to save money when Reagan began putting us on Austerity Measures
somnif
It was also basically an on-paper failure from day 1. Was nowhere near as cheap as hoped, and couldn't fly as often as hoped.
MMX2019
Some of those things would've been remedied by the Buran, but that got shuttered during the collapse of the Soviet Union. Iirc, the US paid the russian government money to stop development, and help them fund other more pressing matters after the collapse.
On the inside, the Buran looks typically soviet (wiring etc..), but from its capabilities, it was a step ahead of the US shuttle. Automatic landing, which was opposed by the pilots association in the US iirc, was also working brilliantly.
iamgnat
Serious question, how?
It gave us a reusable cargo plane that could be used to service orbiting objects and/or be a platform for experiments that "simple" rockets hadn't given us. From what I recall (though I was just a kid when it was flying) it was more about Washington screwing with NASA's funding that prevented them from seriously working on newer platforms that would be useful in higher (or out of) orbit.
Fentex
The Shuttle were always a bodge, rather than sensibly developing technology at a reasonable pace a great deal was wasted just to say "See what we can do, isn't it pretty?". It never delivered on any promises except existing, was predicted before any construction to one day fail catastrophically (due to it's dangerous design of fuel tank between solid rockets) and the whole thing stole resources better spent elsewhere.
FetteredJuvenescence
The reusable craft concept turned out to cost vastly more than just using disposable craft, and bigger experiments are better (And more cheaply) performed on permanent orbital structures like the ISS, or the old Skylab.
Reusable vehicles was a bold hypothesis, but it didn't pan out.
CrisprCAS
Leaving the damn thing in orbit would have been far better in terms of reusability and safety. And price, range, and every other metric. It was not designed to be good at civilian functions. It was a military compromise. It was extremely expensive, and for that money we got nothing that would be usable for long term design improvements.
EricPisch
It cost 2 billion a flight and each one took 2 years to prepare
suiseiseki
I'm qualified to answer this (kinda) the original STS was going to use unclear tugs that would permanently remain in space and ferry capsules to and from a station in orbit around the moon. I'll condense all the details to one simple thing: These looked cooler. Seriously. The first STS was utilitarian and kinda bland aesthetically. These things look like something out of (then) Sci-Fi.
suiseiseki
Oh and my qualification is that my grandfather's job was to engineer components and eventually try to convince the US higher ups to fund the original STS. He had a literal story of a building just full of files on the matter. He blamed himself for failing and for the deaths from the Challenger and Columbia disasters.
DissapointedJesus
Your poor grandfather. That must have been a difficult time for him and your family. I bet he’s got/had a ton of cool stories to tell. I wasn’t even born yet when the Challenger exploded, but I was 9 when the Columbia exploded. I have a vague memory of seeing it on TV and crying.
suiseiseki
Surprisingly, he never said a word about the STS debacle or any other exploits. He was a truly kind man. I found out some of this from his obituary. He had a very good reason not to talk about it. Only funeral I've cried over. I just wish I could have talked to him as an adult and picked his brain for various thoughts.
iamgnat
Ouch. That last part sucks. I was in middle school when we lost Challenger. That was the last launch I remember them stopping everything so we could all watch it live during school...
suiseiseki
I was too young to watch the Challenger and didn't hear about the Columbia until much later. Possibly because my family wanted some distance from the topic. Who knows, maybe his work will live on in some form? Hopefully not the MIRV though. He designed the reentry system for that. Kinda hoping that stays in the dark forever.
lightfoot2
Wound up costing way more than expected which sucked money from other programs. Yes it is stunning, but it's a space truck.
iamgnat
But to this day that is still how gov't programs are mismanaged. Win the contract with insanely low bids and then crank out bills for overages and "unexpected" costs.
CrisprCAS
Except that the shuttle worked the opposite way: Sell trips in advance for a set price then absolutely hemorrhage money when it costs more because you have to eat the difference.