STS-135
Space Shuttle Commemorative Patch
NASA TV Streaming Video
Where will the Space Shuttles Retire?
- Discovery: The National Air & Space Museum (NASM) at Dulles will receive Discovery, as NASM had "right of first refusal" on all retired NASA property. Discovery is currently being readied for her last flight on the SCA (see below) to Dulles later this year. Discovery's tanks are being cleaned of all the toxic chemicals and propellants to make her safe to display to the public.
- Endeavour: Will be making her last "piggyback" trip on the Boeing 747 SCA (Shuttle Carrier Aircraft) to the California Science Center in Los Angeles, near where the Space Shuttles where built.
- Atlantis: Will be retiring permanently at the Kennedy Space Center to eventually go on display to the public at the Space Shuttle Plaza located at the KSC Visitors Center Complex (Grand Opening planned for 2013). A new $100 Million facility will be constructed to give Atlantis a home for visitors to see the shuttle and all its accomplisments. Want to get an idea what Atlantis' retirement home will look like? Go see the Apollo-Saturn Center on the KSC Tour from the KSC Visitors Center!
- Enterprise will be moving from the National Air & Space Museum (NASM) at Dulles to the Intrepid Air And Space Museum in New York City.
- Boeing 747 SCA (Shuttle Carrier Aircraft) - Where will the two SCA aircraft be retired? Nobody at NASA has addressed it yet. But, my first guesses would be to the Museum of the US Air Force at Dayton, Ohio, and/or to the Boeing Museum at Boeing Field, Seattle, Washington. Since there are at least two SCA's (NASA 905 and NASA911) home based at Mohave, California, both museums might win on this one!
- Shuttle Simulators and training equipment - NASA is giving those away to deserving museums like the Adler Planetarium in Chicago (they get a 3 story tall Shuttle Simulator!). I guess we will hear more on this too from NASA later.
NASATV HD
All events are carried live on NASA TV HD. NASA TV can be found on some cable public access channels (consult your local cable TV channel schedule/guide). If you have satellite TV service you can find NASA TV on DIRECTV Ch 289 or DISH Network Ch 212. On August 3, 2011, DirecTV will move NASA TV to an HD only channel requiring its subscribers to have an HD receiver to view it.
NASA TV HD is also available for free (FTA) to anyone with the right equipment to receive the signal. Consult www.nasa.gov/nasatv for more information.
Launch of STS-123
"Endeavour"
Photographed from the VIP Stands (3 miles from launch site) at the Kennedy Space Center, Florida on March 11, 2008 by SCAS Member Tim Khan (Nikon D200). Click on the picture to download a Hi-Res copy.)
Launch of STS-119
"Discovery"
Photographed from Brandon, FL (111 miles from launch site) by SCAS Webmaster Art Mullis with a Nikon D300, FL=200MM. Click on the picture to download a Hi-Res copy.)
