Space Shuttle Discovery becomes Smithsonian property on April 19th

[IrocJack]

Thanks for the pics, need to go down there and see it now.

[Overflow]

Originally Posted by IrocJack

Thanks for the pics, need to go down there and see it now.

No problem!

I plan on heading down to see Endeavour leave Kennedy Space Center in September or October. So expect to see another Space Shuttle thread.

[SSBUSDRVR]

:( That's horrible. Im so sorry. :(

Thanks overflow. Give me a PM if you come down for Endeavour.

[Overflow]

Enterprise has been loaded onto the 747. Next stop: New York.

[PoorMansCamaro]

[Overflow]

Originally Posted by aSSian

Awesome pictures!

Here's one I really like..

[mastertypodemon]

My plan now seems more feasible. Check out at about 4:25 mark.

[Vengeance Graphix]

Originally Posted by Overflow

Awesome pictures!

Here's one I really like..

Awesome photos

[Red Rocker]

Originally Posted by mastertypodemon

That's kinda dumb. The Enterprise was already at the Smithsonian, why send it to New York to just replace it with Discovery? While I still object to New York getting a shuttle, it would make more sense (and be cheaper) to send Discovery to New York.

Easier to deliver too if they just fly the 747 to a pre-determined location, do a barrel roll and detatch the shuttle at the right time, then glide it to a landing on the Intrepid's deck.

Discovery was sent to DC because it is the oldest surviving in-flight OV whereas the Enterprise never flew into space.

New York doesn't deserve one. They should have sent one to Houston, one to KSC, one to DC and one to Dayton, OH for the Air Force National Air and Space Museum. The Air Force was instrumental in the development of the shuttle and Ohio happens to be the home of Neil Armstrong, John Glenn and the Wright Brothers. All three leading pioneers in flight.

The choice of LA and NYC was strictly political.

[Red Rocker]

Originally Posted by mastertypodemon

I wished there would have been a family portrait of the three shuttles together before sending them in various directions to never see each other again. :(

That would have been cool. If money were no object, they should have reunited all four of them @ KSC before Enterprise was sent to NYC and Discovery to DC.

[Red Rocker]

Originally Posted by Overflow

We never used the shuttles to their full potential either. Each shuttle was capable of 100 missions. The most flew on a single orbiter was 39. Discovery was capable of 61 more flights. It's not even middle-aged yet! I feel like we didn't use what we had to its full potential, and now it's gone.

They say the major reason they retired the shuttle was because of the Challenger and Columbia disaster. What's truly sad about this is that both the problems that caused those ships to break apart could've been easily fixed if NASA paid more attention.

If NASA would've scrubbed the launch on January 28th, 1986 like Thiokol Corporation said to, Challenger would've never broke apart due to the boosters.

If NASA would've allowed the astronauts to do a space walk and evaluate the damage on Columbia in 2003, they would've seen the gapping hole in the wing and NASA could've sent up another shuttle and rescued the astronauts and possible fixed the problem. If not, then Columbia would have broken up, but we wouldn't have lost 7 astonauts in the process.

[Ladybugsmom]

Originally Posted by aSSian

Oh, to be one of those guys on that scaffolding.... Think they all had their phones out taking pics???