Museum resting places revealed for NASA's space shuttles

by Steven Mostyn - Apr 13 2011, 12:04

The feverish battle to curry favor is over, NASA has made its final decisions, and the soon-to-be decommissioned space shuttles have been assigned their future homes.

Specifically, once NASA’s three remaining iconic orbiters are officially retired later in the year, they will become tourist attractions at some of the leading museums in America.

The space shuttle Atlantis will be heading to the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida (thus remaining closest to home), while the Endeavour is destined for the California Science Center in Los Angeles.

Meanwhile, the already retired Discovery will rest its wings at the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum in Virginia, and the unused Enterprise training vehicle will be relocated to the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum in New York.

The winning bidders were announced yesterday by NASA Administrator Charles F. Bolden Jr. during an official ceremony at the Kennedy Space Center.

NASA’s selection were plucked from more than 20 possible locations, all of which were understandably anxious to secure the tourist dollars showcasing a historic space shuttle is likely bring.

Speaking with the press shortly after the ceremony’s completion, California Science Center President Jeffrey Rudolph said the attraction of seeing Endeavour is expected to boost annual visitor traffic from 1.4 million to 2.0 million.

Some of those who left the Kennedy Space Center empty handed included representatives from the Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas, the Museum of Flight in Seattle, Washington, and the Adler Planetarium in Chicago, Illinois.

There are presently two remaining shuttle missions on NASA’s launch calendar before the fleet is grounded forever, with the Endeavour set to blast toward the International Space Station on April 29, as will Atlantis soon after on June 28.

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