# The "beaters" of the NASA world **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 19, 2000, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-beaters-of-the-nasa-world/10770 "2000-04-19T18:53:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Quadzilla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/a4c791/32.png) [@Quadzilla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quadzilla)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2000, 5:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-beaters-of-the-nasa-world/10770/1 "2000-04-20T05:33:00Z")
Dumb question, but does anyone have an idea what exactly NASA has planned for its shuttles after they have outlived their usefulness and/or safe usage? I would assume an old shuttle would be used for training, but with the new generation of space vehicles in development, they’d be pretty useless in that respect…right? * * * Christopher Robin Hood - he steals from the rich and gives to the Pooh. ---
**Author:** ![tanstaafl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ba8739/32.png) [@tanstaafl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tanstaafl)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2000, 5:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-beaters-of-the-nasa-world/10770/2 "2000-04-20T05:37:00Z")
Well, there’s only 4 (5?) of them. I suspect one will wind up at the Smithsonian/National Air and Space Museum, one on display at Cape Canaveral, one at the Manned Spacecraft Center in Houston and the fourth somewhere else (my guess would be Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville). * * * “Sometimes I think the web is just a big plot to keep people like me away from normal society.” — Dilbert ---
**Author:** ![bibliophage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bibliophage/32/7615_2.png) [@bibliophage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bibliophage)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2000, 5:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-beaters-of-the-nasa-world/10770/3 "2000-04-20T05:43:00Z")
The _Enterprise_ is in a Smithsonian warehouse-hangar in Maryland, the last I heard (about 5 years ago). The hangar is open to the public by appointment. I suspect a similar fate awaits the shuttles. By the way, _Enterprise_ was never intended to go into space. It was a small-scale model built to test the aerodynamics of the design, and was never fitted with engines. It made a few test landings after being raised aloft on top of a jet airplane. * * * Work is the curse of the drinking classes. (Oscar Wilde) ---
**Author:** ![Fillet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/2acd7d/32.png) [@Fillet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fillet)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2000, 5:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-beaters-of-the-nasa-world/10770/4 "2000-04-20T05:43:00Z")
Looking for a new lawn ornament? 😉 From [NASA’s faq](http://http:www.nasa.gov/qanda/index.html): > [@](#): > > **What happens to used spacecraft? Where is the Enterprise, the first Space Shuttle?** > > In early human space flight programs such as Mercury, Gemini and Apollo, the spacecraft underwent detailed post-mission analysis that often yielded important new information on the rigors of travelling in space. > > Most of these vehicles are displayed for the public at NASA Centers and science museums across the country. For example, the Apollo 11 command module is displayed at the Smithsonian Institute’s National Air and Space Museum in Washington, DC. > > The Enterprise, which was not designed to fly in space, made a series of appearances at air shows in the United States, Europe and Canada before being turned over to the Air and Space Museum. It is now in storage awaiting the construction of a museum annex that would house it and numerous other large historic aircraft. I guess whatever doesn’t go on display gets scrapped eventually. IIRC, the astronauts train in some pretty sophisticated flight simulators (maybe not unlike those used to keep airline pilots up to date?). ---
**Author:** ![Quadzilla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/a4c791/32.png) [@Quadzilla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quadzilla)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2000, 5:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-beaters-of-the-nasa-world/10770/5 "2000-04-20T05:48:00Z")
Ahhh…je vois, je vois. Thank you, fillet et al. Heh, just imagine…“We’ve switched Bob’s regular pink flamingoes with this newly retired space shuttle…” * * * Christopher Robin Hood - he steals from the rich and gives to the Pooh. ---
**Author:** ![bibliophage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bibliophage/32/7615_2.png) [@bibliophage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bibliophage)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2000, 5:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-beaters-of-the-nasa-world/10770/6 "2000-04-20T05:50:00Z")
The _Enterprise_ is at the Garber Facility, open to the public occasionally. Read more about it and a new museum set to open in 2003 at [http://abcnews.go.com/sections/travel/DailyNews/avationmuseum981116.html](http://abcnews.go.com/sections/travel/DailyNews/avationmuseum981116.html) ---
**Author:** ![Sofa\_King](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/58956e/32.png) [@Sofa\_King](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sofa_King)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2000, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-beaters-of-the-nasa-world/10770/7 "2000-04-19T18:53:00Z")
I cannot overemphasize how completely incredible the Garber facility really is. Many of the most important and unique air-and spacecraft to ever fly sit there waiting to go on display, and the restoration center is like crack to a rat for hobbyists. Take your kid there, or kidnap one if you don’t have any of your own. Psst. Don’t tell anybody about it, though. They only take about a hundred visitors a week. ---
**Author:** ![Geobabe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/geobabe/32/3908_2.png) [@Geobabe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Geobabe)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2000, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-beaters-of-the-nasa-world/10770/8 "2000-04-19T20:00:00Z")
Dulles Airport had an open house last summer, with assorted displays and activities–I went because my brother was participating in an airplane pull–and one of the attractions was a tour of the NASM storage facility. It’s nowhere near museum-quality yet, but you could see the Enterprise, SR-71 and various other historic craft. It was VERY cool. ---
**Author:** ![Narile](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/71c47a/32.png) [@Narile](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Narile)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2000, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-beaters-of-the-nasa-world/10770/9 "2000-04-19T23:42:00Z")
## I wouldn’t be surprised to find one at the US AirForce Museum in Dayton after they are retired. If you are **ever** near Dayton, go there. But make sure you have two days, it is too large to really take in in one visit, and also make sure you visit the annex as well. \>\>Being Chaotic Evil means never having to say your sorry…unless the other guy is bigger than you.\<\< —The dragon observes ---
**Author:** ![mrblue92](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@mrblue92](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mrblue92)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2000, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-beaters-of-the-nasa-world/10770/10 "2000-04-20T15:35:00Z")
I don’t know about you guys, but I wouldn’t mind having a beater Space Shuttle to run back and forth to work with. It’ll be tough to fit it in between the lines, but at least you’d never forget where you parked. ---
**Author:** ![scr4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/59ef9b/32.png) [@scr4](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scr4)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2000, 3:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-beaters-of-the-nasa-world/10770/11 "2000-04-21T03:50:00Z")
> [@](#): > > I wouldn’t mind having a beater Space Shuttle to run back and forth to work with. Yeah but be sure to check the odometer. Talk about high mileage vehicles… Engines were recently rebuilt though so it may not be too bad. ---
**Author:** ![Quadzilla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/a4c791/32.png) [@Quadzilla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quadzilla)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2000, 4:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-beaters-of-the-nasa-world/10770/12 "2000-04-21T04:18:00Z")
> [@](#): > > I don’t know about you guys, but I wouldn’t mind having a beater Space Shuttle to run back and forth to work with. Yeah, you’ve also got to watch out for its 2 external fuel tanks. Previous drivers have noted that the tanks tend to fall off about 28 statute miles after the vehicle starts on its journey ([http://www.ksc.nasa.gov/shuttle/technology/sts-newsref/srb.html#srb](http://www.ksc.nasa.gov/shuttle/technology/sts-newsref/srb.html#srb)). * * * Christopher Robin Hood - he steals from the rich and gives to the Pooh. ---
**Author:** ![Quadzilla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/a4c791/32.png) [@Quadzilla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quadzilla)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2000, 4:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-beaters-of-the-nasa-world/10770/13 "2000-04-21T04:19:00Z")
Doggone…lemme try that again… [http://www.ksc.nasa.gov/shuttle/technology/sts-newsref/srb.html#srb](http://www.ksc.nasa.gov/shuttle/technology/sts-newsref/srb.html#srb)