After 30 years of spaceflight, more than 130 missions, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) announced the retirement of its space shuttle fleet and subsequent displays in California, New York, Florida and Virginia – with the hopes of inspiring the next generation of explorers and engineers.
While American museums vied for the coveted space travel items, this week, NASA Administrator Charles Bolden announced the locations where four shuttle orbiters will be permanently displayed once the space shuttle program wraps up.
Shuttle Enterprise, the first orbiter built, will move from the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum in Virginia to the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum in New York. At which time the Smithsonian’s Udvar-Hazy Center will become the new home for shuttle Discovery, which retired after completing its 39th mission in March.
Shuttle Endeavour, which is preparing for its final flight at the end of the month, will go to the California Science Center in Los Angeles.
Atlantis, which will fly the last planned shuttle mission in June, will be displayed at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida.
“These facilities we’ve chosen have a noteworthy legacy of preserving space artifacts and providing outstanding access to U.S. and international visitors," said Bolden. NASA also announced that hundreds of shuttle artifacts have also been allocated to museums and educational institutions across the U.S.