Fighting For Shuttles

The article doesn't mention JSC, are they not in the running? Here's a selling point - JSC had a LITTLE bit to do with the shuttle program. And they already have a visitor center with, get this, a real Saturn V! And the mission control room that was used for the Moon landings and early shuttle missions is already part of the tour. Moving a shuttle from Ellington to JSC would be a challenge but I would think doable.

According to the advocates of VSE, the Shuttles were a horrible mistake that should never have been. In light of this, send them to Davis Mothan AFB and have them shredded as though they never existed.

King Tut tours the US, why not a Shuttle?

Since there is a means to fly a shuttle from city to city, why not have one shuttle that periodically gets moved from one city to another. If there is an area near the local airport that can house the shuttle mated to it's carrier 747, it can stay there for a period of time and then move on. They can fly in catwalks and other ground support equipment to bring people from the ground up to the height of the Shuttle mated to the 747 carrier aircraft.

Or if the shuttle can be taken off of the carrier aircraft and reattached using common large cranes, then they can put it in a hanger.

The expenses would be paid by the city that wishes to have a Shuttle visit their fine town.

That way everyone gets a shuttle.

I don't know if such an option is practical, but it is a pretty neat suggestion. Maybe this should be the role of Enterprise once it is replaced at NASM by Discovery. It had done similar duty in the early 80s, appearing at the Paris airshow and even at (I think) the World's Fair in New Orleans.

I wonder how much it costs to maintain the 747s. Could they serve double duty as aero-launch platforms like the B-52 to support atmospheric flight research?

But, as suggested sarcastically above, maybe some folks won't want such a promiment reminder of previous policies on display to avoid comparison with new policies. Whatever else it may be, shuttles (especially real ones) are definitely impressive up close.

I'd like to see Enterprise in Hanger One at Moffett.