 Space Shuttle replicaExplorer (nowIndependence) atKennedy Space Center,Florida | |
| Country |  United States |
|---|---|
| Contract award | Guard-Lee |
| Status | On display atSpace Center Houston |
Space ShuttleIndependence, formerly known asExplorer, is a full-scale, high-fidelity replica of theSpace Shuttle. It was built byGuard-Lee inApopka, Florida, installed atKennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in 1993, and moved toSpace Center Houston in 2012. It was built using schematics, blueprints and archival documents provided by NASA and by shuttle contractors such asRockwell International. While many of the features on the replica are simulated, some parts, including the landing gear'sMichelin tires, have been used in theSpace Shuttle program.[1] The model is 122.7 ft (37.4 m) long, 54 ft (16 m) high, has a 78 ft (24 m) wingspan,[2] and weighs 171,860 lb (77,950 kg).[3]
Independence, then known asExplorer, was displayed at theKennedy Space Center Visitor Complex atop concrete pilings and secured with steel cabling. Visitor access was provided by a gantry-style tower with ramps and an elevator for accessibility. Inside, visitors could view amock-uppayload, a mannequin wearing an early model of the orange launch/entry pressure suit used by shuttle astronauts, and a mock cockpit with controls and instruments. Adjacent toExplorer were twosolid rocket boosters mated to a full-size mock-up of anexternal tank (originally used byStennis Space Center for fit tests).[4][5]
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Because Kennedy Space Center was to receive the retiredAtlantis, Space ShuttleExplorer was removed from the KSC Visitor Center on December 11, 2011, and relocated to theVehicle Assembly Building'sturn basin dock adjacent to theLaunch Complex 39 Press Site.[6] The move was performed by Beyel Bros. using a 144-wheel trailer towed by truck.[7] To accommodate the shuttle, several light poles and street signage along the route were taken down, and the shuttle itself was lifted byhydraulic jacks over a KSCguardhouse.[6][7]
The vehicle remained at the turn basin until May 24, 2012, when it began its move by barge to theLyndon B. Johnson Space Center outsideHouston, Texas.[1] The replica shuttle was stripped of the nameExplorer as part of the dismantling process.[8]
Upon arriving in the Houston area by barge on June 1, 2012, guided by the Presiding Officer of the Houston Pilots Robert Thompson, the shuttle was taken to the Johnson Space Center dock onClear Lake, and preparations were made to move the shuttle to Space Center Houston during the early morning hours. As with Florida, several light poles along NASA Parkway were taken down and trees trimmed back to allow passage. The shuttle was moved by another 144-wheel trailer down the closed highway to the visitor center.[9]
Johnson Space Center hosted a celebration for the arrival of the replica. "Shuttlebration" events began on June 1, at the southeast corner of Clear Lake by the Nassau Bay Hilton Hotel. The festivities included the arrival of the shuttle at the dock and its move onto visitor center grounds. This was the largest item to arrive at the JSC dock since a Saturn V arrived for display in 1977.[10][11]
Space Center Houston announced on May 2, 2013, that it had acquired NASA 905, one of NASA's two modified Boeing 747Shuttle Carrier Aircraft. The center planned to display the replica shuttle atop the SCA with interiors of both vehicles accessible to visitors.[12] A competition to name the shuttle opened on July 4, 2013, and concluded on September 2, 2013, with over 10,000 entries received.[8][13] The winning entry was submitted by Timothy Judd, and the new name,Independence, was revealed on October 5, 2013.[13][14]
Independence underwent extensive renovation in 2013 and 2014 to repair damaged components and update its appearance to more closely match that of the modern shuttle fleet. Modifications include a re-skinning of the exterior, replicathermal tiles, publicly accessible mid-deck and payload bay, aglass cockpit on the flight deck, and display cases with shuttle program artifacts.[15]
On August 14, 2014, a heavy lift was completed to placeIndependence on top of NASA 905,[16] which had been moved to Space Center Houston fromEllington Field on April 30, 2014.[17] The combined exhibit, named "Independence Plaza", opened to the public on January 23, 2016,[18] at an estimated cost ofUS$12 million.[15][19]
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29°33′07″N95°05′50″W / 29.552036°N 95.097244°W /29.552036; -95.097244