I've seen all the Space Shuttles in their retirement. It took me 10 years to get to them all.
But I saw Endeavor when it was still just on the ground (like Discovery). I can't wait to go back and (re)complete my collection!
Interestingly, with this display, you can now see the shuttle in all operating modes:
Endeavor is in launch configuration, Atlantis is in orbit configuration, and Discovery is in landing configuration. And if you count Independence at JSC, you can see it in transport configuration.
Oh man, when they moved Endeavor through the streets of LA it was like a championship parade.
Your collection is incomplete as you have not useen the Space Shuttle pass through a Wendy's drive through, the extremely rare and unlockable, hidden operating mode.
On the ground or suspended about 20 feet up? I saw Endeavour in 2017 and it was like this and you could walk under the wings. I've seen Discovery about 10 times because I live much closer to DC but you can't only walk around it, not under it.
https://imgur.com/a/eUR7TU1
Boy, I can hardly wait for this to open.
I got to visit the Shuttle just before they closed it down to make this change, and it's a wonder to behold. They had it on display, about 10 feet off the ground (I forget how it was supported).
But it was an amazing piece of machinery to be in the presence of, to be so close.
They have the last boosters and last external fuel tank for this exhibit, parts I believe were originally used for testing. Seeing it upright will be amazing.
If you look at one of the photos on the site, you'll notice workmen below one of the SRB nozzles. As I understand it, that's how the entire this will be displayed -- being able to be beneath one of the nozzles. I have to assume there will be walkways to get closer to the shuttle itself.
I have some construction photos of them getting the SRBs in place. Like everything else, they're...big.
Anyway, looking forward to this exhibit reopening. Gonna be a one of kind exhibit.
There's a series of platforms where you can see it from progressively higher vantage points.
This does sound great but because I'm an idiot I assumed the title meant that they had installed a 20 story LCD display on the side of an old space shuttle.
Which I thought was pretty cool too.
But I think I've been watching too many PC gaming hardware review videos.
I read the title and literally thought "Huh how did they fit that inside the shuttle?"
It gets worse, I thought they installed such LCD display to virtually display the shuttle in real life size or something :) The importance of proper titles...
I thought the same thing.
And I think some of the advertisement screens in places like Times Square could easily scale to 20 stories. I don't think they're that big now, but I think they could do it with little trouble.
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I was once on a first date at Fort Tilden when, to the surprise of most at the beach, Enterprise went by on a barge. It was a surreal and excellent experience.
Did the relationship last?
There's a Men-in-Black sequel here; that thing is operational.
They did something similar in Moonfall, which is a fun movie if you like campy sci fi like Independence Day and Armageddon. One of those movies I was glad to randomly check out on a flight.
If you like this idea, check out the movie Space Camp. :)
One of my favorites as a kid.
Independace Day 4 - the fly it to Pluto and nuke the aliens.
but Will Smith isn't operational.
And in "Moonraker" someone steals one in transport. It could happen here, I suppose.
Does anyone know if Endeavour has real SSMEs attached? I understand that many museum SSMEs were cannibalized for the SLS.
Maybe SpaceX should take it and send it toward the sun...
It would be great if Musk bought an orbiter and made an honest display about what a boondoggle the whole program was. SpaceX's success shows the shuttle was seriously the wrong thing to have done. It would have been much better for NASA and the country to focus on cost-reduced expendable launchers, later gradually converted to first stage reuse, and only then to full reuse. People were pushing for this since the 1960s.
