Shuttle trainer nose section in Seattle now...

A place to talk about any and all things not related to Space Camp.

Moderator: Vincent

Post Reply
User avatar
p51
HabForum Junkie
HabForum Junkie
Posts: 1058
Joined: Sun Feb 19, 2012 12:36 am
Location: 2558 miles from Space Camp
Contact:

Shuttle trainer nose section in Seattle now...

Post by p51 »

I wentto Seattle to see the nose section of the space shuttle trainer that was delivered to the museum of flight from johnson space center (as they clearly don't need it anymore). I'd never seen one of the NASA "super guppy" transports in person before, it was amazing.
Shuttle trainer nose:
Image
Image
Image
Guppy and T-38:
Image
Image
Image
Image
Image
Image
Skidmark
Space Academy: 2012, 2013 and 2014
Advanced Space Academy: 2016 and 2018

Undefeated for winning mission patch designs!
Official Space Camp Ambassador
User avatar
Hotdog
Top Gun
Top Gun
Posts: 902
Joined: Wed Dec 06, 2006 9:11 am
Location: Rocket City, USA

Post by Hotdog »

Such a shame Space Camp couldn't get those simulators. How cool would that have been!
4-time Space Camp/Academy alumni
1989, 1991*, 1992, 1994
*Right Stuff Award Winner
User avatar
p51
HabForum Junkie
HabForum Junkie
Posts: 1058
Joined: Sun Feb 19, 2012 12:36 am
Location: 2558 miles from Space Camp
Contact:

Post by p51 »

Hotdog wrote:Such a shame Space Camp couldn't get those simulators. How cool would that have been!
I disagree. This trainer was made for astronauts and was used accordingly. I'd think a few years of campers running around inside it would really mess up parts of it. No offense to the campers, it's just that even the astronauts who used it have worn out parts of it as a lot of it is made out of wood. I'd cringe at the thought of even myself being let lose inside this thing. You'd have to rebuild many parts of this to make it useable for younger people and make other sections far more durable than they currently are. It's a historical artifiact (which was used by every shuttle crew), one that we should be glad is in loving hands for future generations to see many years down the road.
Skidmark
Space Academy: 2012, 2013 and 2014
Advanced Space Academy: 2016 and 2018

Undefeated for winning mission patch designs!
Official Space Camp Ambassador
User avatar
Hotdog
Top Gun
Top Gun
Posts: 902
Joined: Wed Dec 06, 2006 9:11 am
Location: Rocket City, USA

Post by Hotdog »

Well I can't argue about structural issues, perhaps it would need some upgrading for more public use. But where is the cut off where space artifacts are no longer deemed "historic"? Everything that's been touched by an astronaut should not go into a museum. It's great to have the Mercury-Apollo trainers in museums, but the Shuttle and the groups who have used that trainer are not as exclusive of a group. The shuttle opened the door of manned spaceflight quite a bit wider and took away some of the prestiege that came with being an astronaut when compared to the stigma of being an astronaut in the 1960s. I'm not trying to take anything away from the shuttle astronauts or the things they accomplished, I'm just saying the new-ness kinda wore off a bit with the Shuttle program. For example, you wouldn't pay the same price for a stick of gum flown on a Shuttle flight as a stick of gum that flew with John Glenn on Friendship 7. So that being said, at what point does something become not historic enough to be in a museum, especially a piece that might be better suited to help inspire the next generation of explorers (at Space Camp)? Just my two cents.
4-time Space Camp/Academy alumni
1989, 1991*, 1992, 1994
*Right Stuff Award Winner
User avatar
p51
HabForum Junkie
HabForum Junkie
Posts: 1058
Joined: Sun Feb 19, 2012 12:36 am
Location: 2558 miles from Space Camp
Contact:

Re: Shuttle trainer nose section in Seattle now...

Post by p51 »

This is just driving me nuts right now...
My wife and I toured the shuttle trainer on the first day anyone could do so. I have several really good shots, but photobucket has gone insane and the site it locked up and I can't upload a darned shot to show anyone! You can't upload shots here unless they're the size of the head of a pin, either. darn it!
I'll upload them as soon as photobucket will let me. Suffice to say that the real interior of a shuttle is a lot smaller than the trainer at SC, I can assure you of that!
Skidmark
Space Academy: 2012, 2013 and 2014
Advanced Space Academy: 2016 and 2018

Undefeated for winning mission patch designs!
Official Space Camp Ambassador
Post Reply