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mastronaut
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« on: 08/30/2006 01:42 AM » |
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I know this is premature, but when the shuttles are finally retired who will get them? How will they be displayed? Full stack or horizontal? Do you think people will be allowed to walk through? Just something I've been thinking about.
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« on: 08/30/2006 01:42 AM » |
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HailColumbia
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« Reply #1 on: 08/30/2006 01:48 AM » |
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I think this has been discussed elsewhere. There is some legislation in the works for palmdale to get an orbiter, (atlantis I think)
They absolutly cannot allow people to walk through, the orbiters would be destroyed. We cant have some kid sticking gum on the walls of the flight deck, plus, not much room in there for tour groups anyway. Do they let you sit in apollo 11 at the smithsonian? no. its sacred, so are the shuttles.
I would imagine that they would be displayed horizonatally, a full stack seems hard to me, as it would be criminal to display them outdoors. you would need a pretty big space to display a vertical shuttle stack. maybe somthing like pathfinder.... but indoors.
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Ben E
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« Reply #2 on: 08/30/2006 01:57 AM » |
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Steve, I agree, they should never allow anyone inside. However, I think a video guided tour of the orbiter for visitors would be good or perhaps even a full-scale mockup alongside the real thing.
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vt_hokie
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« Reply #3 on: 08/30/2006 02:20 AM » |
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I agree, having priceless orbiters subject to that kind of abuse is out of the question. However, the "Explorer" mockup at the KSC Visitors Center is a fairly realistic replica that you can walk right up to.
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MKremer
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« Reply #4 on: 08/30/2006 02:22 AM » |
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For a display, you kind of have to choose whether you'd want the public to only view it from a distance, or get closer to see more details. I'd prefer to have close-up views rather than just look at it from a distance (like the Bell X-1 and other craft hanging far away from everyone):
Mount the orbiter on pillars (one for each landing gear) so the bottom is 12-15 feet off the floor, to allow visitors to walk underneath and observe/photograph the tiles, ET attachments, and engines. For the top, have wide walkways surrounding the orbiter - close enough to see the details and look into the cockpit windows (and engines), but also far enough away to prevent possible damage (10 feet or so).
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TyMoore
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« Reply #5 on: 08/30/2006 02:49 AM » |
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This is an excellent idea. I once wrote my congressman and suggested that if the Hubble telescope was to be scrapped, that it sort of 'earned the right to exist,' and I suggested that one final servicing mission be used to crate up the 'scope and bring it back to earth. I suggested that the Smithsonian surely could find a place of honor for the old telescope. I'm glad that people are thinking the same thing for the orbiters. I sure don't want to see the same thing happen to them as has happened to the Russian orbiters.
No matter what anyone personally thinks about the program which gave them life, the orbiters are a historical treasure, and once retired, should be treated as such.
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mastronaut
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« Reply #6 on: 08/30/2006 03:37 AM » |
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What about an Orbiter building along the lines of the Saturn V display with the shuttle horizontal at an angle (upward heads down position) with the ET above suspended from the ceiling and the SRBs attached to show just how impressive it is. I agree about a runway where people can get close and see inside the cockpit as well. The payload bay doors can be open to show how cavernous it is.
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Jim
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« Reply #7 on: 08/30/2006 09:51 AM » |
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mastronaut - 29/8/2006 11:24 PM
What about an Orbiter building along the lines of the Saturn V display with the shuttle horizontal at an angle (upward heads down position) with the ET above suspended from the ceiling and the SRBs attached to show just how impressive it is. I agree about a runway where people can get close and see inside the cockpit as well. The payload bay doors can be open to show how cavernous it is. So the "Space Shuttle Center" at KSC is going to be 1/4 the size of the VAB with unbelievable trusswork. The best you could hope for is like the MSFC and KSC stacks at the visitor centers PS. Payload bay doors can't be opened in 1g with out some support.
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mastronaut
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« Reply #8 on: 08/30/2006 11:11 AM » |
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I think it should definately be indoors to prevent deterioration...I didn't know the payload doors are so flimsy.
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Chris Bergin
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« Reply #9 on: 08/30/2006 01:31 PM » |
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Ben E - 30/8/2006 2:44 AM
Steve, I agree, they should never allow anyone inside. However, I think a video guided tour of the orbiter for visitors would be good or perhaps even a full-scale mockup alongside the real thing. I agree. I would find it highly disrespectful if they allowed tourists inside, getting their sticky fingers all over flight deck.
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MarkD
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« Reply #10 on: 08/30/2006 04:50 PM » |
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Yeah indoors please. Proof of not is the Saturn V at JSC, now with holes in it and garbage in it.
I would think to show it in the vertical, to show how massive it is ready to launch. A good way is a building the size of the ET Michoud facility just big enough for the stack to fit and room for visitors to walk around, but not touch the vehicle. I'd let Discovery be posed in her launch position on a ET/SRB stack as she is the most flown of the fleet. Atlantis can be shown similar to Enterprise, but with scafolds all over it with the orbiter behind glass. I got that idea from seeing Apollo 8 at the Museum of Science and Industry here in Chicago and the U boat displayed now in an enclosed underground room.
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spaceshuttle
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« Reply #11 on: 08/30/2006 04:56 PM » |
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MarkD - 30/8/2006 11:37 AM
Yeah indoors please. Proof of not is the Saturn V at JSC, now with holes in it and garbage in it.
I would think to show it in the vertical, to show how massive it is ready to launch. A good way is a building the size of the ET Michoud facility just big enough for the stack to fit and room for visitors to walk around, but not touch the vehicle. I'd let Discovery be posed in her launch position on a ET/SRB stack as she is the most flown of the fleet. Atlantis can be shown similar to Enterprise, but with scafolds all over it with the orbiter behind glass. I got that idea from seeing Apollo 8 at the Museum of Science and Industry here in Chicago and the U boat displayed now in an enclosed underground room. with the technology of today, they could possible simulate SSME ignition through a laser show...
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astrobrian
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« Reply #12 on: 08/30/2006 09:04 PM » |
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MarkD - 30/8/2006 11:37 AM Yeah indoors please. Proof of not is the Saturn V at JSC, now with holes in it and garbage in it. I would think to show it in the vertical, to show how massive it is ready to launch. A good way is a building the size of the ET Michoud facility just big enough for the stack to fit and room for visitors to walk around, but not touch the vehicle. I'd let Discovery be posed in her launch position on a ET/SRB stack as she is the most flown of the fleet. Atlantis can be shown similar to Enterprise, but with scafolds all over it with the orbiter behind glass. I got that idea from seeing Apollo 8 at the Museum of Science and Industry here in Chicago and the U boat displayed now in an enclosed underground room. Jog around it a couple times and you get a feel for its size for sure. They have indeed let the Saturn V go, but it has undergone some restorations and a building now around it. I plan on going down next weekend to check it out. As for the orbiters, I think they too should have thier own buildings, climate controlled as well. I like the video tour idea, they should have that on dvd for cheap when going by the display.
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gordo
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« Reply #13 on: 08/31/2006 12:41 PM » |
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There are 4 Orbiters and 4 Locations where my bets are:
Dulles - Discovery
KSC - Endeavour
Seattle - Atlantis
Palmdale - Enterprise
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mastronaut
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« Reply #14 on: 08/31/2006 12:46 PM » |
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I say, KSC - Discovery Huntsville - Atlantis Houston - Endeavour Smithsonian - Enterprise  The heavy hitters have to get the orbiters.
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