Chicago wants a shuttle

murphey

murphey

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murphey
http://www.aero-news.net/index.cfm?ContentBlockID=a4da575b-0338-47ec-8cbe-5c6cfd1543f9&

"The Adler Planetarium released a rendering on Wednesday of the state-of-the-art glass pavilion and learning center it would build to house a Space Shuttle Orbiter. The Adler, one of 21 institutions across the country vying for a retired shuttle orbiter, hopes to permanently locate a shuttle along the shores of Lake Michigan to serve as a focal point for inspirational experiences for millions of people from around the world."

Anyone want to take bets it'll be on the site of the land formerly known as Meigs?
 
I read somewhere that NASA's requirement is that the Orbiter be flown in on the SCA, and moved whole to its final location. No disassembly allowed. That might be tough for Adler. Too bad they don't have an airport near-by.
 
murphey said:
Anyone want to take bets it'll be on the site of the land formerly known as Meigs?
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Judging from the orientation of the buildings in the rendering, it looks like they want to put it west of the Planetarium, which wouldn't be anywhere close to the former Meigs site.
 
They should tell the city they can have a Shuttle -- but only at an operational Meigs Field, subject to removal if the field closes.
 
Not a chance they get one. Even if Meigs was still there, not a chance they could get a 747 in there. There are much better cities to put the thing in. Heck, almost any city would be better than Chicago.
 
KSCessnaDriver said:
Not a chance they get one. Even if Meigs was still there, not a chance they could get a 747 in there. There are much better cities to put the thing in. Heck, almost any city would be better than Chicago.
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Amen brother.
 
What was Meigs is now a concert venue, and there's no way the city would give up a concert venue so that "rich people" can go back to playing with airplanes on the site. (Incidentally, the biggest uses of Meigs were business transport and organ donation/medical flights. I guess Daley decided that it was alright for people to wait around for organs to be driven in from MDW or PWK.)
As far as getting the Shuttle to Adler, it's doable... by water. They got a German submarine in to Museum of Science and Industry, after all.
 
Considering the limited number available (4 I think), there isn't much leeway.
one to the Smithsonian.
one to the AirForce Museum at Wright Pat.
one to the display area in Houston.

The rest of you fight over what is left.
 
Telemakhos said:
What was Meigs is now a concert venue, and there's no way the city would give up a concert venue so that "rich people" can go back to playing with airplanes on the site. (Incidentally, the biggest uses of Meigs were business transport and organ donation/medical flights. I guess Daley decided that it was alright for people to wait around for organs to be driven in from MDW or PWK.)
As far as getting the Shuttle to Adler, it's doable... by water. They got a German submarine in to Museum of Science and Industry, after all.
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And the UAL 727 was barged over too, albeit from Meigs. But Gary, IN is not all that far away and there is a good port nearby to put a shuttle on a barge.
 
Maybe we should try and get it for a display at 6Y9!
 
The Old Man said:
Considering the limited number available (4 I think), there isn't much leeway.
one to the Smithsonian.
one to the AirForce Museum at Wright Pat.
one to the display area in Houston.

The rest of you fight over what is left.
Click to expand...

Why not one at Kennedy Space Center?
 
Teller1900 said:
They have plans to send the Enterprise somewhere else in favor of a flown Orbiter.
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JPL would be great. Or, a new attraction at the Paramount Studios for the tour. Would be perfect right outside "Soundstage Hell".
 
KSCessnaDriver said:
Not a chance they get one. Even if Meigs was still there, not a chance they could get a 747 in there. There are much better cities to put the thing in. Heck, almost any city would be better than Chicago.
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Amen to that! :thumbsup:
 
I love the Adler Planetarium, but screw the City of Chicago. Maybe they can get one of these Shuttle Lawn Ornaments:

http://www.youngeagles.org/news/archive/2009 - 09_28 - Space Shuttle_ The Ultimate Lawn Ornament.asp

Actually, the EAA museum is not pursuing a shuttle, BUT they are trying to get one to land on the 747 at the 2012 AirVenture while enroute to its new home:

EAA’s Adam Smith said the EAA AirVenture Museum is not pursuing a shuttle, but EAA is trying to get one to come to Oshkosh. “We’re actively trying to have one of the shuttles visit AirVenture 2012 on the back of a 747 while en route to a museum,” he said.
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http://www.eaa.org/news/2011/2011-03-10_shuttles.asp
 
The Old Man said:
Considering the limited number available (4 I think), there isn't much leeway.
one to the Smithsonian.
one to the AirForce Museum at Wright Pat.
one to the display area in Houston.

The rest of you fight over what is left.
Click to expand...

Houston is not a sure thing.. there is rumor that we lost the one we would get to the USAF...
 
Doggtyred said:
Houston is not a sure thing.. there is rumor that we lost the one we would get to the USAF...
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It ought to be a sure thing.
My rationale for giving first dibs the 3 I named:
Smithsonian - Should be obvious.
Wright Pat - has the most complete collection in the world. Everything that the USAF ever owned or looked at.
Johnson - Has one of every man rated vehicle NASA ever used.
 
maybe Wright Patt could get some other museum to take a shuttle, get it looking good, nice and restored, and then steal it from them?
 
murphey said:
...Anyone want to take bets it'll be on the site of the land formerly known as Meigs?
Click to expand...

Trapper John said:
Judging from the orientation of the buildings in the rendering, it looks like they want to put it west of the Planetarium, which wouldn't be anywhere close to the former Meigs site.
Click to expand...

Ron Levy said:
They should tell the city they can have a Shuttle -- but only at an operational Meigs Field, subject to removal if the field closes.
Click to expand...

It's close to Meigs. The Planetarium is the end of what was runway 36. Every time I landed on 18 I had to adjust to ignore the Adler Planetarium parking lot.

It wouldn't be the first irony. When they working on were closing Meigs, the IMAX theater at the Museum of Science and Industry was showing "The Magic of Flight."
 
There's just something ethically wrong with giving an airplane to a city that committed aviation treason.

When they eventually close the solid rocket motor fuel factory maybe they should give the remaining fuel to a pyromaniac.
 
KSCessnaDriver said:
Not a chance they get one. Even if Meigs was still there, not a chance they could get a 747 in there. There are much better cities to put the thing in. Heck, almost any city would be better than Chicago.
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Why not? They could easily add another 6000ft. of runway after extending Northerly island with a landfill. :ihih::incazzato:
 
Steve Foley said:
They ain't getting one.....

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/13/science/space/13shuttle.html

Discovery -> Smithsonian (Udvay-Hazy)
Endeavour -> California Science Center
Atlantis -> Kennedy visitor complex
Enterprise -> Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum in Manhattan
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The disappointment in Houston was pronounced. Representative Pete Olson, a Republican whose district includes the Johnson Space Center, said in a statement, “This oversight smacks of a political gesture in an agency that has always served above politics.”
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http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/irony although he'd probably say it's made out of aluminum.
 
I just don't get NASA's decision on this. Much have been lots of politics behind the scenes. Why on Earth they decide to send one to LA? Then they give one to the place that has had a Concorde for a few years and it already was in crappy condition. Quality move on NASA's part for sure (Sarcasm)
 
When I saw the title "Chicago wants a shuttle", my first thought was, "People in hell want ice water".
 
KSCessnaDriver said:
I just don't get NASA's decision on this. Much have been lots of politics behind the scenes. Why on Earth they decide to send one to LA? Then they give one to the place that has had a Concorde for a few years and it already was in crappy condition. Quality move on NASA's part for sure (Sarcasm)
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IIRC, the shuttles were constructed at Palmdale & delivered to Edwards. Edwards was an alternate landing site.

The NASM/Udvar-Hazy was a given (they get first dibs by law). KSC is obvious.

The real question, then, is why NYC got one?
 
wsuffa said:
The real question, then, is why NYC got one?
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no kidding. anyone in NYC who wanted to see a shuttle could go to DC. Its not that far. I wonder if Enterprise is no longer able to be transported via 747? So they looked for the closest suitable place to move it.

I'm somewhat annoyed that I will now have to travel half way across the country to see a shuttle.
 
wsuffa said:
IIRC, the shuttles were constructed at Palmdale & delivered to Edwards. Edwards was an alternate landing site.

The NASM/Udvar-Hazy was a given (they get first dibs by law). KSC is obvious.

The real question, then, is why NYC got one?
Click to expand...

Very true, but the problem I have is this so called "museum" that they are putting it in. All the others on the list, I'd heard of. This place in LA seems like a poor choice, just because well, frankly, there's not much there, after looking at their website.
 
fgcason said:
When they eventually close the solid rocket motor fuel factory maybe they should give the remaining fuel to a pyromaniac.
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Meh... BTDT. Pepcon explosion:


(They show an initial explosion right in the beginning, but the ridiculously huge explosion isn't 'til about halfway through. Worth watching, it's pretty spectactular.)
 
Those guys at NASA suck at geography. Apparently they forgot the middle of the country exists.
 
steingar said:
Those guys at NASA suck at geography. Apparently they forgot the middle of the country exists.
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no kidding but if you live in the northeast you can see two in a day. wtf.
 
tonycondon said:
no kidding but if you live in the northeast you can see two in a day. wtf.
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I don't see a problem with that

(says the guy living just outside of Boston):D
 
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