Note: Story updated below.
How is it possible? Houston’s innovative proposal to park a used space shuttle in the middle of a large triangular garage stuck onto the side of that space-themed amusement center near the JSC (shown above, all decked out) lost out to far less compelling plans put forward by museums in Florida, New York, and California. NASA administrator Charles Bolden announced earlier today that the 3 remaining unparked and unexploded shuttles will be moved next year to permanent homes in the Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum in New York City, the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, and the California Science Center in L.A.’s Exposition Park. What sort of dull designs did these institutions put together?
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At the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Orsino, the space shuttle Atlantis will be suspended in front of a projected image of a rotating Earth. The shuttle’s robot arm will dangle an empty space suit. The exhibit will be part of a $100 million display in a new 64,000-sq.-ft. facility:
There’s not enough room to add a shuttle on board the Intrepid, the former aircraft carrier-turned-transportation musem floating in the Hudson River off New York City. So the museum there will be building a separate glass hangar on Pier 86, where the now Concorde currently hangs out. According to the proposal drawings, the Enterprise will hang out inside, its payload bay open:
The California Science Center didn’t bother to send in a design showing where it’ll house the Endeavour once it returns from its upcoming final mission. It’ll go somewhere or other around this building:
Maybe the museum will build a new structure to house the Endeavour somewhere nearby — when they get around to it.
An obvious advantage of the Space Center Houston design over those of the selected institutions: If the shuttle ever had to come out of retirement — say, to blow up an asteroid or something — it looks like it wouldn’t have been too difficult just to wheel the thing out of that big garage door and onto NASA Pkwy. Also losing out on a permanent visit from a used shuttle: the Brazos Valley Museum of Natural History in Bryan, Texas, a spacecraft rest home personally endorsed and lobbied for by former President George H.W. Bush.
Update, 5 pm: And you may want to sit down for this one. Houston might need that big garage after all: Eric Berger notes NASA has awarded the Johnson Space Center the flight deck pilot and commander seats from an unspecified shuttle. Get your asses in here!
- NASA Gives Space Shuttles to Smithsonian and Museums in Calif., Florida and NYC [Space.com]
- Photo Gallery: How to display a retired space shuttle [Collect Space]
- There’s No Space Like Home. Welcome Home, Atlantis! [Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex]
- About the Mission [Bring the Shuttle Home]
- NASA’s Next Mission: Finding Homes For Shuttles [NPR]
Images: Space Center Houston, Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex, Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum, Richard Kim [license]
“An obvious advantage of the Space Center Houston design over those of the selected institutions: If the shuttle ever had to come out of retirement — say, to blow up an asteroid or something — it looks like it wouldn’t have been to difficult just to wheel the thing out of that big garage door and onto NASA Pkwy. ”
In that case, shouldn’t they just keep it Florida?
(And by it, I mean all three of them. Just in case there are THREE asteroids.)
“say, to blow up an asteroid or something”
This is why I check out Swamplot when I need a good chuckle.
Keep it coming.
Of course the Houston rendering is unattractive and boring as ever. Geez.
It makes sense to be in Houston, but couldn’t the renderings have been a little more compelling? My goodness! It’s just dropped in the middle of a big triangular hangar.
NASA just wants to ‘spread the shuttle’ around. Those three places offer large population centers, as well as visibility through tourism.
Though I think Iowa really needs one.
“From movocelot:
NASA just wants to ‘spread the shuttle’ around. Those three places offer large population centers, as well as visibility through tourism.
Though I think Iowa really needs one.”
Spreading it around? So three on the East Coast with two in the Northeast alone is spreading it around? NYC is a three hour bus ride from DC. They should not have gotten one. A space shuttle needed to go to the middle of the country. It was politics that landed NYC a shuttle. What did they ever do for NASA and the Space Program?
Dry your tears Houston–there is a silver lining. Have you been to the Johnson Space Center lately? Think of the fanny pack clad rabble that will no longer have cause to visit our fine city.
As I see it, this is the same mayor that lost us Continental but is forcing Walmart saturation on the inner loop. Of course she couldn’t help JSC win this battle. They weren’t paying her enough.
Wow, I bet somebody spent an entire hour building that model in Sketch-up.
No suprises here. When it comes to architecture and design, Houston and its neighbors are the blandest of the big metropolitan areas. Sure we’re very pragmatic…but aesthetically dull. I hope this is a wake up call to those who just love dull gray concrete buildings and acres of flat parking space. But with design imaginations like that we will lose out(e.g. remember the Olympic bid anyone?)
I kind of get the sense that Johnson Space Center just phoned it in because they are bitter about seeing the shuttle program end. It is too bad because Houston clearly deserves the shuttle by way of the center’s history with the shuttle missions.
“Houston” was the 1st word on the moon. It shouldn’t matter what the design was (although I agree with the criticisms); the history is here.
Why build a hanger? We finally had something to put in the Astrodome and we let it slip away.
^^^^^
Perfect place for it!! Why weren’t you on the design committee or weren’t you free that night?
Lame-OH Houston.
But we know why we didn’t get the Shuttle, Obama hates Texas.
I thought everyone knew by now that the $1.99 “Design Your Own Home in 3D!” software in the clearance bin at Microcenter is total crap?
After examining the final voting results, it appears the JSC proposal came in dead last, narrowly missing the second and third to last spots occupied by a random Kroger prepared foods display case and the spot next to the fake treasure chest at the bottom of Timmy’s aquarium.
Spread it around?
Three are on the east coast and two are a day trip train ride away from each other.
This had zero to do with design and all to do with Obammy.
Craig,
You forgot to blame SJL in this rant. You’re losing your touch! We all know this is her fault more than anyone, including Rep. Olson, whose district covers Space Center Houston.
“But we know why we didn’t get the Shuttle, Obama hates Texas.”
The sad part is that this is the most likely reason. He hates my home state of Louisiana too.
From miss_msry:
But we know why we didn’t get the Shuttle, Obama hates Texas.
_____________________________
Well in last year’s election all the Texas Democrats seemed to indicate that Texas hates Obama. You don’t need to be a rocket scientist to figure that one out.
“NASA just wants to ‘spread the shuttle’ around. Those three places offer large population centers, as well as visibility through tourism.
Though I think Iowa really needs one.”
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True perhaps, but this just reinforces that whole ‘rich-get-richer’ idea in that, a place like Houston, which is already wont for a blockbuster-mega-city-making touristy destination is deprived of yet another smaller regional draw. (And one which undoubtedly belongs here more than say, California.)
I’m still holding out for Disney’s Outer Space Kingdom: Houston. *crickets*
“I’m still holding out for Disney’s Outer Space Kingdom: Houston. *crickets*”
There’s some good space for that on the big empty lot just south of Reliant Stadium.
For all those that complain that it was Obama hating on Houston or Texas in general, let me recommend you walk in to work and tell the person responsible for your raises to suck your…. See how well that works out for you.
Never hurts to act like adults, maybe some people will remember that when their friend doesn’t make prom king, but doubtful. Funny how these self-fulfilling prophecies work out.
Ugh…
Use common sense. The placement of these shuttles is all about trying to bring them to the masses. It’s about trying to revive interest in our space program.
While we all know that Houston is the more logical place for a shuttle to land permanently, this isn’t about that. It’s about which places will get the most visitors.
Sorry, but we simply don’t compare to Cape Canaveral (Atlantic beach resort, close proximity to Disney, Universal Studios, etc…), D.C. (Smithsonian is the most well attended museum in the nation), Manhattan (gets more visitors in a month then we likely do in a year), or LA (home to 20 million folks with a booming tourist industry).
Blame politics all you want, but it is clear that Houston’s entry into this competition was total crap. There is no one else to blame for that.
Unfortunately, I must voice my support for the decision to not give JSC a shuttle. My last visit, the first in over a decade, was depressing, to say the least. All of the actual space-related exhibits are covered in dust, and the shuttle nose section is in such disrepair it’s not even worth a passing glance. JSC is admittedly geared towards the younger crowd (I’m 23), but I don’t see how a three-story playpen, a bunch of Lego bricks, and some tired movies about the space program will get kids interested in science and space. As much as Space City feels it’s owed to us, parking the Shuttle next door to that would be a waste. Houston needs to stop wishing it was still living the glory days of the space program, and actually do something to bring them back.
Maybe someone thought a shuttle would get the same level of TLC that the Battleship Texas has. And since our beloved governor threatened secession, perhaps passport issues for visitation were a concern. I know two things would always guarantee not getting a new toy I wanted when I was a kid -failing to take care of the things I had and being a brat.
well said, Hellsing
Good point, Jason. Another thing to remember is that a little loyalty goes a long way (who knew?). A Democrat scored us JSC, and a Democrat is now putting the shuttle museums wherever he wants. Looks like not much has changed, except for Texans’ party affiliations!
” (And one which undoubtedly belongs here more than say, California.)”
The freaking shuttles were built here!
Fine, Houston isn’t getting a shuttle. But it irks me that they are taking the trainers which are already here and were used to train all the astronauts that went on those shuttles and are sending them elsewhere while they send us two chairs.
I hope this is wake up call for Space Center Houston. They really need to be taken in a new direction.
The local political delegation and Space Center Houston were complacent. They just assumed we’d get one and when it looked like we wouldn’t they came roaring into town to score political points.