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KnottaBiggins t1_j3kcd6r wrote

It's amazing that we got such a huge flying brickyard into space. Seeing one in person is literally awe inspiring.
A couple of months ago, I got to see the Endeavor at the California Science Museum. They're building a new display building to have it stand erect, attached to a tank (that they have behind the building now) and boosters. It's going to be configured as "ready for launch" with viewing platforms all up the sides.

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cons_suck_balls t1_j3ken09 wrote

I specifically went to see it, while it’s still horizontal, to get a closer view of the whole ship!

Totally worth it!

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AlarmingConsequence t1_j3klkd2 wrote

I want to do the same!

I have read that portions of the skin are made of a fabric. Is that discernable from the current horizontal point of view?

The black ceramic heat shield tiles are not fabric, but IIUC done of the white areas are fabric.

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praecipula t1_j3lzp2v wrote

Yes, absolutely. This video with Adam Savage is a pretty good one for the visuals and walk-around experience, and they talk about the hand-made-ness feeling you get from seeing the orbiter. This is Discovery at the National Air and Space Museum but Endeavour (which I've seen) feels very similar to experience. I have a strong recollection of seeing Endeavour and really being impacted by the gimballing mount of the main engines; I don't know how I thought they worked before, maybe some sort of flexible rubber interface that would flex as the engines moved in order to ensure a seal around the engine, but they are ball joints that rotate in a socket and presumably have some sort of O-ring seal. And that's such a simple, straightforward, mundane solution for how to get the engines freedom of movement that it was a real "of course that's how they did it" feeling. It's a moment of "wait a second, that's the same thing as how my 25 dollar shower head moves around to adjust its aim" feeling. You can see details that you just don't get otherwise, like the wear on the inside of the engine bells from repeatedly spitting out hellfire.

tl;dr: definitely go see it if you can

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nasa1092 t1_j3ko1ly wrote

It's absolutely discernable, moreso in person than in photos. Pretty cool to see such a complex machine just ... covered in what looks like felt.

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cons_suck_balls t1_j3klrcc wrote

I’m not sure, but you can walk underneath the shuttle, so the bottom tiles are about 10 feet away!

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