Warbird Information Exchange

Astronauts request shuttle be brought to Museum

A group of 18 former astronauts asked NASA Administrator Charles F. Bolden, Jr., to select the National Museum of the United States Air Force outside Dayton, Ohio, for a retired space shuttle when that program ends later this year. About 20 museums across the country have requested to exhibit one of the four remaining shuttles.

“We join the United States Air Force, the state of Ohio, and the entire region surrounding Dayton in support of the placement of a shuttle for permanent exhibition at the oldest and largest aerospace museum in the world,” the astronauts told Bolden in a letter.

The astronauts, most of whom are former Air Force officers, emphasized that sending a shuttle to the National Museum of the United States Air Force was particularly appropriate because of the support the Air Force has given to the space shuttle program.

“Without the Air Force, the shuttle program as we know it today would not exist,” they wrote.

The astronauts who signed the letter included 15 who had flown on the space shuttle and three who flew Apollo missions.

Among the astronauts was Lt. Gen. Thomas P. Stafford, U.S.A.F (Ret.), who flew two Gemini missions and commanded Apollo 10 in May 1969, which included the first flight of the lunar module to the moon.

One of the signers, Dr. Kathryn Sullivan, was the first American woman to walk in space. Another signer, Brig. Gen. Charles Moss Duke, Jr., U.S.A.F. (Ret.) walked on the moon as part of the Apollo 16 mission.

Another Ohio astronaut, former Senator John Glenn, Jr., sent a separate letter to NASA supporting the shuttle coming to the Air Force museum.

The National Museum of the United States Air Force houses the Air Force’s National Historical Collection, and already includes Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo capsules and a wide variety of space vehicles and artifacts.

Because the museum is owned by the federal government a space shuttle displayed there “would keep ownership with the American people,” the astronauts said.

The museum is “unique in its ability to preserve the vehicle, and fully capable to tell the story of its role in space and of the men and women who flew and supporter her,” they said.

The astronauts urged NASA select the Atlantis for display at the National Museum of the United States Air Force because it was used for defense-related missions more than any of the other shuttles.

“The Air Force was instrumental in the design, development, funding, and approval of the space shuttle program,” the astronauts said. “The Air Force continued as a key partner in the shuttle program from training through mission planning, launch integration, and operations.”

The National Museum of the United States Air Force is one of the most popular aviation museums in the world, with 1.3 million visitors annually. It features more than 400 aerospace vehicles displayed in a million square feet of exhibit space.

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"Everyone wants to live here (New Jersey), evidenced by the fact that it has the highest population per capita in the U.S..."

I hope that the men that flew her get what they want.

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Chris Henry
EAA Aviation Museum Manager

Right. But let's poll all the men and women who flew her, not just 15 that are in the pocket of the Air Force.

Wouldn't matter anyway. As I understand it, basically the main criterion to get a shuttle is to have unlimited money on hand, and that's the Air Force. I would bet Dayton will get one.

August

I've worked with Dr. Sullivan on numerous occasions, and she ain't in the pocket of anyone. August, your statement disappoints me, as it denigrates 18 (since you don't specify who's 'in the pocket' and who isn't) brave Americans who deserve better.

Perhaps I've taken your post the wrong way, but it troubles me, and I felt led to say so.

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"Anyway, the throat feels a bit rough...the legs have gone...but I'm still able to chant, so let's get going."

Joe Strummer, 1999

The Tulsa folks have been doing their own lobbying. The entire congressional delegation is supporting the effort, along with some congressional folks from out of state. The mayor just came back from DC on a lobbying effort, one of the state's Senators is making some direct contact etc. Buzz Aldrin was at the museum a couple of weeks ago checking out the situation as well. The Tulsa effort, while an outside shot, is serious.

I think it will be really interesting to see which way NASA/NASM goes with the decision- the easy route, where one goes to Dayton and one goes to either the Museum of Flight, Evergreen or Houston, or if it does something different.

kevin

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FOUND the elusive DT-built B-24! Woo-hoo!!!

I say us in Houston deserve a shuttle on display!! JSC is a critical part of any shuttle mission I think we need to lobby here!

Funny enough, when I've heard that before it hasn't been in a positive light. The design compromises necessary to meet the USAF-specific needs ended up producing an Orbiter substantially different (and more technically complex) than what NASA really wanted.

One day remind me to tell you just how many things are incorrect with that post.

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Chris Henry
EAA Aviation Museum Manager

The bottom line is, the vehicles are national treasures of enormous historical importance. They are large, expensive, and require an indoor display space suitable to host a large volume of visitors. The NASM and The NMUSAF are to obvious choices. Kennedy is another. The DoD put a huge amount of money into the Shuttle program and a majority of the astronauts come from the military. The NMUSAF is a natural choice. Just my opinion....

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"Everyone wants to live here (New Jersey), evidenced by the fact that it has the highest population per capita in the U.S..."

I'd tend to agree, especially for Atlantis given her connection to the DoD missions.

But the information that Chicago is in the running for one (see the Pima thread) does throw a kink into all the speculation. Besides all the criteria about viable museums, those with a connection to the Shuttle Program etc is the expectation that NASA will want the shuttles dispersed - both for the benefit of the visiting/viewing public and from a political one..

NASM will get Discovery and KSC will probably keep one. If one goes to Chicago because the Administration orders it sent there, I think it's going to be VERY difficult for NMUSAF to get one for Dayton because the West Coast Congressional Delegations will insist on one too. In a battle between CA/WA/OR and OH/NMUSAF over the last available shuttle (and in such a scenario I think it'd be Enterprise, not one of the flown ones), I think the West Coast wins in a walkover.

There is no way that a Shuttle should go to Chicago. Besides, the current administration is not a fan of space flight. Considering the cancellation of the space flights after the retirement of the shuttle.

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Chris Henry
EAA Aviation Museum Manager

Don't get me started. The Shuttles were designed to be used for 100 missions each. They've flown around 30. We are retiring them way to early...with no replacement. We've canceled the Constellation program and have effectively killed the US manned space program for the foreseeable future. Our space station, that we funded and built, is now going to be effectively controlled by the Russians and we will have to pay 50 million dollars a seat to get an astronaut up to it...an national embarrassment. Our space program was the pride of this country and the envy of the world and we our dismantling it. History will not look kindly on this. It was bad enough that we built up Apollo, landed on the moon just six times, and simply quit. We are doing it again...the most powerful country on earth is walking away from a program that creates hundred of thousands of jobs, accelerates technology and drives our aerospace industries at phenomenal rates. We should be appalled and our children will never forgive us for this...

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"Everyone wants to live here (New Jersey), evidenced by the fact that it has the highest population per capita in the U.S..."

That is very well said.

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Chris Henry
EAA Aviation Museum Manager

i agree 120%!!! at least 1 shuttle should be put in ready reserve status for emergencies or other back up plans. obama's plan to wack the program entirely is a travesty to this country's space history, pride & future. to cancel the program entirely is like putting the cart before the horse. let's just write the russians a blank check for further u.s. participation. i don't see the foresight in this administration's space policies.

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tom d. friedman - hey!!! those fokkers were messerschmitts!! * without ammunition, the usaf would be just another flying club!!! * better to have piece of mind than piece of tail!!

The issue isn't support/non-support for the Shuttle, NASA, the space program, etc.

It's the fact that the shuttles are going to be HUGE tourist draws. Tourists = $$$$.