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haze_gray t1_j3jb493 wrote

It’s stunning when those doors open. Took my breath away.

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ChipTheRooster t1_j3jll8k wrote

Absolutely true, was there in 2019 and I remember I got all choked up.

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ccx941 t1_j3nhdbo wrote

It is an emotional experience.

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No_Maines_Land t1_j3jtt7e wrote

Disappointingly the doors failed to open when I went through, really cut into the magic having to take the little door on the side.

I was also hungover as sin, so that movie was not a good time.

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Drusgar t1_j3o2ohf wrote

When I was there it was suspended with the doors open. Do they close them for some reason? It's kind of a display, I figured they're just always open.

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No_Maines_Land t1_j3olwkd wrote

Not the shuttle bay doors, the exhibition doors.

Before entering the area with the shuttle, there is a film then a large garage like door (usually) opens exposing Atlantis. At least that was the set-up 5-19 years ago.

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Drusgar t1_j3opl4y wrote

Oh yeah, I saw that. It was pretty epic. Kind of a movie theater experience with loud music preparing you for the big reveal.

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No_Maines_Land t1_j3oqspw wrote

Yeah, so when I went through the big door failed, so no big reveal, just a side door. Got to see the looks on the faces of the next gang though!

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Earthfall10 t1_j3kia0f wrote

Yeah it was awesome, I hadn't known they had a shuttle it so was a wonderful surprise when the movie faded revealing the real craft on the other side of the glass.

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NintegaUK t1_j3lxewg wrote

Finally got to go last year. I didn’t know that was going to happen. My partner told me later I squeezed her hand with excitement. I didn’t even realise I had.

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LikChalko t1_j3n4act wrote

Bro I was straight up crying and then this giant as space ship is right in front of me

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Warlord68 t1_j3kbes4 wrote

Ya, you could put a full school bus in the back.

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Alone-Monk t1_j3p0m08 wrote

Yeah we were the last show of the day and my dad was absolutely gobsmacked, it is such a masterful design. I really want to know who came up with the idea for the show to end like that

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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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Desertbro t1_j3k0e55 wrote

I marked this spot in Wooorld for VR tourists.

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[deleted] t1_j3lg6r2 wrote

[removed]

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darthrubberchicken t1_j3ljezu wrote

The display configurations are intentionally different.

Endeavor will be displayed as a full Space Shuttle stack(with ET and SRBs). "pre-launch"

Atlantis is displayed as flown in space, with payload bay doors open. "during mission"

Discovery is displayed as just landed, landing gear touched down.

Enterprise was never fully an Orbiter/Space Shuttle, but it is displayed on the Intrepid using the mounting joints that connected it to the Shuttle Carrier Aircraft (747-100).

Challenger and Columbia we of course lost in two separate accidents. There are memorials across the country, but at KSC right below Atlantis are a piece from each Orbiter on display.

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lumpthar t1_j3lqgje wrote

I was just there in July. Such an awe-inspiring display. I can't get over how big it is.

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dedas45 t1_j3n9615 wrote

photo doesn't do it justice. it's an absolutely beautiful exhibit in person

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YogurtclosetFirst456 t1_j3nyhv9 wrote

My brother and I had a trip to Florida and showed up an hour till closing and the guy at the front said if you wanna see anything go see that exhibit. The show, the walk around and all the cool segments around the ship made it all worth the money. Icing on the cake we went and ate at a restaurant on the water that night and space x was doing a launch and we got to see that while eating to our surprise. Best night of that vacation.

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macfaddenstrews t1_j3kphz8 wrote

Seeing the first shuttle travel through the atmosphere to then come in for a beautiful landing with the chute slowing it down...absolute magic, awe inspiring and even now I have goosebumps. ..

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gijoe50000 t1_j3na3fq wrote

Last time I saw this was about 11-12 years ago, when it was flying over my house in Ireland..

I even managed to make out the outline of it, sitting on the booster, with my telescope. It was one of the coolest things I've ever seen. The plume from it was absolutely huge, about 10 times wider than the booster and the shuttle..

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rtphokie t1_j3ns367 wrote

Fun fact: the orbiter is mounted at a 32.1º tilt, a nod to the countdown heard at KSC.

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rf_6 t1_j3nsymc wrote

I cried the first time I visited the Atlantis exhibit. The video shown before entry is awe inspiring.

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trekmeister2k t1_j3nyhx5 wrote

It brought a tear to my eyes when I saw Atlantis at Kennedy back in 2017, I only ever saw 1 shuttle launch and that was back in 2000 and it was Atlantis I saw launch.

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brit_motown t1_j3ojlli wrote

Saw the Kennedy one on our trip to Florida two bucket list ticks in one day the shuttle and the unlaunched apollo

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vZander t1_j3lusxa wrote

when they need to build a new iss, are they then going to use something similar like the shuttle?

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Mingerfabulous t1_j3lyubs wrote

They are amazing to see in person. But a capsule configuration is not only more efficient to send up but safer for humans. You don't have 75 feet of wing surface to worry about when you are skipping across the atmosphere for re entry. Not to mention you have to fill the cargo requirements on the shuttle to launch it. But she is beautiful.

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guitartoys t1_j3ntlgr wrote

That looks amazing. It's disappointing that the shuttle at the Udvar Hazy is just sitting there. The shuttle at Kenney in Florida, you can walk through and even look into the crew compartments. I really wished they'd open all of them up to look inside. Heck, it would still be cool, even if they were partly stripped.

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TheDerpingWalrus t1_j3ohihc wrote

Just saw endeavor last week. Can't wait till they stand it up fully assembled

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OneWorldMouse t1_j3k812c wrote

I wish the movie was better. I realize they didn't have shots of Atlantis like we got from the IMAX movie, but the CG looks terrible IMO. The music was pretty good at least.

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