Comments
superunison713 t1_ix44k1g wrote
Fact. You can look around the room literally every time the wall opens up and see people of every age welled up with tears.
FlaOwlLover88 t1_ix45e6g wrote
What gets me crying are the sonic booms when it’s landing.
bcas400g t1_ix489vt wrote
I thought it was just me! But you're right that presentation hits you right in the gut.
Domonoadamu t1_ix4dann wrote
Literally was going to say every single. Exact. Word. Never cried so crazy in public before.
doom1701 t1_ix4zmi6 wrote
I’ve only seen the Endeavor at the California Science Center, but the first time I walked into that hangar and saw it, I cried.
crazy_pilot742 t1_ix6eutv wrote
The whole exhibit was insanely emotional to me. I was choking back tears like mad when the curtain rolled up, then again looking up at the Hubble model, and finally looking at the Challenger/Columbia wreckage.
Z_Opinionator t1_ix6g48k wrote
Every time I go I know it’s coming and still Bam! right in the feels.
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Captain_Prices_Cigar t1_ix6rj9a wrote
Same here. It really hit me when they reveal Atlantis behind the screen.
[deleted] t1_ix7vuhf wrote
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Ok_Damage7184 t1_ix3w1ik wrote
26 year veteran of the Space Shuttle Program at Kennedy Space Center, seen this any number of times and its always a moving experience!
SK360 t1_ix430td wrote
This summer I saw Discovery at the Air&Space museum and Atlantis at KSC exactly one week apart. I have to say the Atlantis display was incredible compared to Discovery, the intro video and reveal was amazing.
DapperApples t1_ix4o9ej wrote
Yeah the discovery is just, sitting there.
I mean the hazy really is a hanger full of planes, no real exhibitry
LeicaM6guy t1_ix3wtwp wrote
I photographed her last few launches. Will always be the highlight of my career.
cons_suck_balls t1_ix3r246 wrote
I like this display more than the Endeavor in LA! Very cool!
God_Damnit_Nappa t1_ix4efzn wrote
The current Endeavour display is meh but their idea of displaying it in its launch configuration once the expansion to the museum is done is going to be super cool. Hopefully they actually finish it on time.
Mateorabi t1_ix4wkhj wrote
A&S UH Dulles Annex too. It's just kinda sitting there flat on the ground.
Though it WORKED for the SR71 facing you as you walked in (till they changed the entrance and ruined the sight-lines by having you come in a story UP instead and now you have to go downstairs near the restrooms to see it "face on").
SmellyPillows t1_ix42w4n wrote
My wife, a native Floridian, has NEVER BEEN! It was pretty much the first activity ever for me in Florida. We're going soon.
IMADC t1_ix739gf wrote
Plan a whole day, you'll need it. Be sure to take the bus tour too.
RandoMcNoob t1_ix470nw wrote
I've never been so star-struck as when after wiping my tears away after that presentation and staring in awe, I saw the NASA engineer standing near the shuttle answering questions. I'm a middle-aged dude who's randomly run into famous folks, but this mild mannered older dude had me feeling like a 12 year old girl at a Justin Bieber meet and greet in 2009.
TheSkyOpenwide t1_ix436sh wrote
Wow I'd love to see this. Been to Huntsville it was amazing 🤩
Existing-Anything-34 t1_ix48jrn wrote
Went earlier this year and this is just one of many impressive displays. Glad I went. One really needs to devote the entire day to see as much as possible.
Tasty_fries t1_ix4ba6n wrote
My whole family flew to Florida for a few days to watch the final launch 11 years ago, and I’m finally going back in 3 weeks and planning a visit here to see her up close!
Penny1974 t1_ix43rp9 wrote
I will always love the Shuttles! Watching them land was almost as amazing as watching them launch!
DisinterestedCat95 t1_ix4n844 wrote
The Kennedy Space Center display of their shuttle is by far the best of the three remaining vehicles. The other two, and the Enterprise for that matter, are fairly boring and unimaginative in comparison. And the video before the unveiling is the cherry on top.
PhoenixReborn t1_ix6j72o wrote
Endeavor is supposed to get a vertical display in a couple years attached to a fuel tank and boosters.
critt385 t1_ix4ubry wrote
Fun fact it's angled at 43.21 degrees. At least that's what a NASA engineer there said.
pork26 t1_ix3uxrn wrote
I went to KSC Thursday, it was so crowded I never got in to see Atlantis. There were 15 bus loads of school kids.
CyberhamLincoln t1_ix57ufo wrote
You can always go in through the exit gift shop.
pork26 t1_ix5bw0t wrote
Believe it or not, those doors were closed due to the painting of the SRB and the external tank in front of the building.
bcas400g t1_ix484v3 wrote
It's an incredible exhibit I was there a few years ago and it was awe inspiring.
godfather275 t1_ix4jrh5 wrote
I went there this year and and it was probably my favorite trip I've taken in all while. Worth every penny.
onebadhorse t1_ix4qk8g wrote
How it's revealed was awesome when I saw it for the first time
Haywood_jablowmeeee t1_ix4wy9f wrote
The front corner of the payload bay door is close enough to the railing that I could reach out and touch it (me: 6’3” tall). I did this on a number of visits. Then they installed an exhibit sign to stop this. 😟
GuruBuckaroo t1_ix7ain9 wrote
There she is, my giant spaceship girlfriend Atlantis, all trussed up like the world's largest taxidermied bird. I lived through the entire Space Shuttle program, from design to launch to mothballing, and never once was able to catch a launch. Closest I ever got was seeing the Enterprise on its carrier aircraft being refueled at St. Louis International airport. Finally got to go to Kennedy in 2017 and meet her, she is so beautiful.
If you live near Kennedy, go take the tour. You won't regret it.
ETA: The video production you see before you enter the presence of She Herself, courtesy our last visit there.
Hagoha t1_ix4z7kq wrote
I spent so much time there earlier this year. It was like every childhood memory of watching the space shuttle program all at once. Please make a trip if you ever have a chance. The whole place is a great experience!
inkyrail t1_ix5bko0 wrote
Everyone in this thread needs to see this video.
Not a rickroll, I swear
tidaltown t1_ix6jwxm wrote
I still wish Huntsville had gotten one of them.
guru_florida t1_ix6wcqt wrote
Saw in person, so very impressive! The pic makes it look smaller. My daughter wasn't as impressed I guess and pulled me away :( Kids. I was lucky to see a real launch, 2nd last one. I miss the shuttles.
[deleted] t1_ix491v9 wrote
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[deleted] t1_ix4nwbv wrote
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misspellted t1_ix4ur7r wrote
Oh my, Alantis, that's quite a kickstand your sportin' there!
[deleted] t1_ix4w7ah wrote
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JohnnyRico92 t1_ix4wk4e wrote
It’s crazy how small the crew quarters are. That long Hubble repair mission must have been rough lol.
GuruBuckaroo t1_ix7dm8e wrote
Considering Apollo, they're luxuriant. It helps to remember that there are two floors in there. It's bigger than it looks. Astronauts also tend to be a touch shorter than average, so it's not so bad.
Haywood_jablowmeeee t1_ix4x9gx wrote
The three main engines are ‘Hollywood fakes’. I pointed this out to a docent and explained the engines were taken to be used for the SLS rocket. They insisted they were real… even though a real engine is on display 40 feet away and the difference is obvious.
Decronym t1_ix5byct wrote
Acronyms, initialisms, abbreviations, contractions, and other phrases which expand to something larger, that I've seen in this thread:
|Fewer Letters|More Letters| |-------|---------|---| |DoD|US Department of Defense| |KSC|Kennedy Space Center, Florida| |SLS|Space Launch System heavy-lift| |SRB|Solid Rocket Booster| |STS|Space Transportation System (Shuttle)|
^(5 acronyms in this thread; )^(the most compressed thread commented on today)^( has 19 acronyms.)
^([Thread #8315 for this sub, first seen 20th Nov 2022, 21:32])
^[FAQ] ^([Full list]) ^[Contact] ^([Source code])
pantag t1_ix5eir0 wrote
Is this the actual one that flew up there or a mock up?
bookers555 t1_ix5ijws wrote
It is the actual Atlantis. Both Atlantis and Discovery were sent to museums after the Shuttle program ended. They just don't have the real engines since those were taken for the SLS.
AdminsFuckedMeAgain t1_ix5x674 wrote
A couple of questions..
- How long did the shuttle orbit Earth?
- Where do the crew members eat, sleep, and work? The area forward of the payload bay looks tiny.
- What exactly did work consist of for a crew member on the shuttle?
PhoenixReborn t1_ix6nhq6 wrote
Atlantis had a total of 33 flights, ranging from 4 days to 12 days. Missions included launching probes and satellites, installing modules on the new ISS, servicing Hubble, and some classified missions for the DoD.
There's another deck below the flight deck with sleeping quarters, the bathroom, and the airlock to the payload area.
[deleted] t1_ix7fo73 wrote
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pestapokalypse t1_ix7t6ib wrote
I was there a couple months back. It’s an absolutely incredible sight.
As a side note, I had no idea just how gargantuan Hubble is. I’ve seen its dimensions before but didn’t really grasp how huge it was until I saw the model in person.
Jerrycobra t1_ix8s65r wrote
The presentation and buildup is so well done, when the doors open to reveal the shuttle it's a jaw dropping moment.
Seenitdunit t1_ix5qxf7 wrote
What's with them dents in the front on the shuttle? Why's it so dirty? What's it worth?
PhoenixReborn t1_ix6leal wrote
By dents you mean these two things? Openings for the star trackers to support navigation.
https://twitter.com/kavanagh/status/1284339746651672576
Launches and reentry scorch the surfaces of the craft. Panels didn't get replaced unless they were too damaged.
https://www.space.com/9397-mystery-solved-nasa-space-shuttles-dirty.html
NASA says Endeavor, a similar shuttle, cost about $1.7 billion. They're priceless now.
Seenitdunit t1_ix6m0fo wrote
Christ so 1.7 BILLION?! I'm guessing this isn't the cost of the equipment and training for the crew? Makes sense you wouldn't replace the panels after use since it is so costly. Why would they paint the shuttle though? Why spend the money on paint and painters just so it'd be scorched off?
PhoenixReborn t1_ix6p27n wrote
It's not really painted. The black sections are tiles designed to handle the heat of reentry. The white areas are either white tiles to reflect the heat of the sun, or white insulating fabric blankets.
phloyd77 t1_ix3txbo wrote
I cry like a baby every time they end that video montage of all the shuttles launching and then the wall opens and BAM there she is, the ship I built a hundred times as a kid out of anything I could find. Very well done display and worth checking out if you’ve never seen it.