Space Shuttle Inspiration

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Inspiration
OV designation OV-0??
Country United States
Status On display at the Astronaut Hall of Fame in Florida.
First flight not flightworthy

The Space Shuttle Orbiter Inspiration (honorary Orbiter Vehicle Designation: OV-09??) is a mockup of a Space Shuttle made of steel and wood.

History

The Space Shuttle Orbiter mockup was constructed by North American Rockwell in 1972. It was shown to NASA and Congress to win approval for the space shuttle program. The mockup is approximately the same size and shape as an actual Orbiter. It was also used to design cable harnesses for production shuttle Orbiters and to test-fit flight hardware.

The mockup was abandoned in place by NASA, so the owners of the property placed it on temporary display at the Columbia Memorial Space Science Learning Center in Downey, California, in July 2012.[1][2]

Refurbishment and naming

After it sat in storage for many years, in 2012 the owners decided to refurbish Inspiration. The cost of refurbishment is estimated at US$1 million, with another million required for a building to house Inspiration.

"Some deterioration processes are already underway. The outer skin of the shuttle, made of plywood on a wooden frame, is buckling slightly and showing signs of internal delamination. Paper components representing insulation or other lining of the sub-deck are disintegrating. Adhesive mounts and backing for a range of fasteners have become yellowed and embrittled. Delicate plastic components also appear to be degrading slightly. Clear plastic, prismatic ceiling panels have fine crazing cracks, and are starting to become detached at their fasteners."[1][3]

Originally unnamed, it was named Inspiration on September 24, 2012.[4][5]

On display

Inspiration was housed in a tent outside the Columbia Memorial Space Science Learning Center in Downey, California.[5]

As of December 2013, the City of Downey, which owns "Inspiration" has decided to place the mockup into indefinite storage as funds for the permanent building to house it have been transferred elsewhere. It is currently on display at the Astronaut Hall of Fame near Kennedy Space Center.

See also

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Downey Will Display Shuttle Mock-Up | The Daily Planet". Blogs.airspacemag.com. Retrieved 2012-11-05. 
  2. ↑ W.J. Hennigan (2012-06-15). "Meet 'the original shuttle'". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2012-11-05. 
  3. ↑ "Original 1972 Space Shuttle Mockup Going on Display". Space.com. 2012-06-25. Retrieved 2012-11-05. 
  4. ↑ "Council chooses ‘Inspiration’ as name for space shuttle mock-up". DowneyBeat.com. 2012-09-25. Retrieved 2012-11-05. 
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 "Original 1972 space shuttle mockup moved outdoors for Downey, CA display". collectSPACE. 2012-07-12. Retrieved 2012-11-05. 

External links

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