When the Udvar-Hazy was previewed to the press in November 2003, it was said then that Enterprise was a place holder for one of the flown orbiters. So you can pretty much count on one of them (my guess: Discovery) going to UHC.That leaves two flown birds and Enterprise.The Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex has already announced plans and a budget to build an orbital processing facility (OPF) replica to display a flown orbiter to the public. And let's face it, its the Cape, the most popular public space attraction after the National Air and Space Museum. So, its also a safe assumption an orbiter will be staying in Florida.One left (and Enterprise).Johnson Space Center is the home of the shuttle program. True, its Visitor Center is disappointing (from a space enthusiast's viewpoint) but the arrival of an orbiter could be the injection of space-themed excitement needed to turn the place around (from the Super Hero-obssessed, children's playground it is today). My bet would be that #3 is Houston-bound.But let's say its not: here is — what I would assume — the shortlist of candidates: U.S. Space & Rocket Center (Alabama)Kansas Cosmosphere and Space Center Air Force Plant 42 (Palmdale, CA) California Science Center (Los Angeles) Seattle Museum of Flight (Washington) U.S Air Force Museum (Ohio) That's six places and two orbiters.For the sake of argument, let's disqualify Huntsville — they already have Pathfinder and the only complete stack on display anywhere). I would also disqualify Los Angeles but for no other reason than the other choices are more likely.Personally, I think the USAF Museum has the strongest claim on the remaining-but really going to JSC-flown orbiter, given their prestige. I think Kansas and Seattle are tied for second place. They are both excellent museums but their locations leave something to be desired.At the end of the day though, I could see Palmdale being assigned Enterprise over all six, given its history.
Jim - 31/8/2006 2:47 PMCalifornia Science Center (Los Angeles) vs CA Aerospace museum?
gordo - 31/8/2006 3:33 PMKSC is a major tourist attraction, but in reality no other NASA centre can say that. The shuttles need to be indoors, so unless a NASA centre is going to committ a chunk of public money to build a facility its not going to happen, where as places like the Smithsonian and Seattle have got facilites. I would suspect KSC build an extention to the Saturn V centre.
When the Space Shuttle program concludes, the visitor complex has envisioned a home for one of the orbiters. Visitors will be able to interact with the real vehicle and browse artifacts. Placed in the context of a processing facility environment, the Space Shuttle Orbiter Exhibit will be designed to capture the imagination of the public in much the same way as the Saturn V rocket does today at the Apollo/Saturn V Center.
collectspace - 31/8/2006 10:39 PMQuoteJim - 31/8/2006 2:47 PMCalifornia Science Center (Los Angeles) vs CA Aerospace museum?The California Science Center — one of only four museums to have flown examples of Mercury, Gemini and Apollo on display (the other three being the KSC Visitor Complex, Kansas Cosmosphere and the Smithsonian itself). The CSC has Mercury-Redstone 2, Gemini XI and ASTP's Command Module.
DontForgetHF - 1/9/2006 5:07 PMI'm thinking that at least one of the orbiters should be completely diassembled so that all of its subassemblies and components may be analyzed. These orbiters are the only reusable spacecraft to have flown so many missions. There may be some knowledge to gain by seeing how the materials in the airframe and even the various systems have been impacted by repeated flights and repeated exposure to the environments associated with spaceflight.
triddirt - 2/9/2006 5:22 PMWhere would the full scale training mockups go? Could these be gutted enough to let folks walk through?