POLL: Where Should NASA Display Retired Space Shuttles?

[misner2]

I want to see them continue to fly.
I know where they can stick them.
Why they can fly today, but not tommorro?
Idiots.

 

[ptj4403]

I believe the GSA Office has already made that decision for us and that the Smithsonian has received the first choice and New York Museum has second choice with third choice unannounced yet. But many of other Shuttle artifacts have been granted to many museums and educational institutions around the country such as, The Indiana State Museum, which will receive the following items FRANGIBLE NUT (WHOLE), GAP FILLER, SHUTTLE TIRE (MAIN, COMPLETE), SHUTTLE TIRE (NOSE, COMPLETE), LOW PRESSURE FUEL TURBO PUMP (LPFTP) 7018 SCRAP, BOTTLE, AIR SAMPLE LARGE, ENCLOSURE ANIMAL, MOCK UP. Contact your local museum or educational institution and inquire if they had applied to receive any space artifacts from the GSA Office and what artifacts they will be receiving. :ugeek:

 

[Larry_1]

NASA should keep them until a new rocket is built and not display them to the public. It is NASA's only rocket that works. They should start pouring money into converting the shuttle into an unmanned version capable of autonomous rendezvous and docking to the ISS. This would solve major problems NASA is currently facing. To retire it into fantasy land is the biggest mistake in the history of NASA.

 

[steve_the_deev]

Hands down KSC is number 1. Visitor access is extremely well organized at the visitors center and folks get the complete picture of space flight. Not to mention KSC being the Shuttle's only launch processing, launch and best landing site. Sorry SLC-6 we got real close. The Smithsonian Air and Space Museum and JSC would be second and third picks.
Which shuttle going to which site is too much micro managing for now but these three locations make the most sense in my totally biased mind.

There is a novel idea of displaying one of the Shuttles in a movable format. In 3 to 5 year stints a Shuttle could be displayed/relocated around the country. This satisfies the need to get a Shuttle displayed around the country for those who cannot come to the Shuttle (disabled, elderly etc). It also satisfies the need to display a Shuttle at those sites which missed out on the initial retirement home location. Many of our great museums and support sites, Edwards AFB/Dryden/Downey/Palmdale etc., would benefit with this idea including the local population that worked on the program.
What happens with NASA's two 747s (STAs)? Another question for another day.

 

[EldonL]

None of the above...

Smithsonian Air and Space Museum already has the enterprise air flight model no need for two static display models that from the outside identical.

Houston will have all the orbiter simulators and mock ups, create a museum there with all that it would be a cool visit, it could be made to be walk through and see systems close up.

So here are my picks...

Cape Canaveral obviously #1 choice for one shuttle

One at Edwards; the only other place in the world where the Shuttles have landed this is a natural for #2.

And then one in the Northwest two possible choices so that all four corners of the US are covered for access to a shuttle display by the public:

Seattle Air and Space Museum @ Boeing Field Seattle WA, is an obvious option. Well run and well funded museum, and with Boeings ties to Space Industry makes it a natural fit for my #3a

The Evergreen Air and Space Museum in McMinnville OR would be a great second choice to Seattle, and a tough choice for me to pick one over the other. The "Spruce Goose" is there and they have a great display of other air and space pieces. It is also well funded and well ran. It would be great to have the contrast of the Spruce Goose in close proximity to the Shuttle to show the historical progress of manned flight at one location so this is a very close #3b and only suffers by location, if this were closer to Portland it would be by #3a and Seattle would be #3b.

 

[EldonL]

I think that one of the Space Shuttles should sit on pad 39B, or A, in complete launch configuration, thereby being a REALLY cool tour attraction at the space center. Go to the top of the gantry and have your picture taken with the orbiter in the background. Or go into the white room and see the Orbiter open hatch, look inside. Walk around the orbiter on the mobile launch platform (MLP). On another option is you can sign up, pay say $1500 to be an astronaut for a day. You will dress in the complete orange launch attire, take the van to the pad, go up the gantry, be strapped into the orbiter, and go through a complete launch routine. I will buy the first ticket !
Robert Bird
Jacksonville, FL

I second this! I would pay for it, what a kick!

 

[EldonL]

I think that one of the Space Shuttles should sit on pad 39B, or A, in complete launch configuration, thereby being a REALLY cool tour attraction at the space center. Go to the top of the gantry and have your picture taken with the orbiter in the background. Or go into the white room and see the Orbiter open hatch, look inside. Walk around the orbiter on the mobile launch platform (MLP). On another option is you can sign up, pay say $1500 to be an astronaut for a day. You will dress in the complete orange launch attire, take the van to the pad, go up the gantry, be strapped into the orbiter, and go through a complete launch routine. I will buy the first ticket !
Robert Bird
Jacksonville, FL

Me too great idea!

 

[LKD]

Firstly, I want one at the international spaceport for people who arrived to take flight in space to know what it took to get them to that point.

I think that one of the Space Shuttles should sit on pad 39B, or A, in complete launch configuration, thereby being a REALLY cool tour attraction at the space center. Go to the top of the gantry and have your picture taken with the orbiter in the background. Or go into the white room and see the Orbiter open hatch, look inside. Walk around the orbiter on the mobile launch platform (MLP). On another option is you can sign up, pay say $1500 to be an astronaut for a day. You will dress in the complete orange launch attire, take the van to the pad, go up the gantry, be strapped into the orbiter, and go through a complete launch routine. I will buy the first ticket !
Robert Bird
Jacksonville, FL

robert89se,

That is just brilliant!!!!

 

[Yuri_Armstrong]

I want to see them continue to fly.
I know where they can stick them.
Why they can fly today, but not tommorro?
Idiots.

In a perfect world we would still have 5 shuttles, and they would probably keep flying until they could fly no more while we also worked on lunar and martian missions.

Unfortunately, the budget is constrained and the powers that be have decided that it is more beneficial for us to retire the space shuttles until we get commercial options available as alternatives. I don't know if this is a good thing or a bad thing, I just hope that it works out alright.

 

[BrianBoru]

NY, Chi-twon, L.A.

For the same reason not all historic military vehicles are only put on display at military installations;
1) Do not inconvenience an American citizen anymore than is necessary, for them to get up close to their nation's
history, which they've already paid for.
2) Sheer logic. The more American's that can see these artifacts - the better the chance to influence them to
continue to support space exploration.
3) Economics. Countless millions more American's, and other foreign nationals, visit theses cities, in comparison
to the NASA installations, therefore more profit may be realized by displaying them in New York, Chicago, and Los Angeles.
4) NASA should ALWAYS be forward thinking. Museums and large metropolitan areas, should be the cultural centers
of any nation's achievements.