Space Shuttle ''Inspiration'' is a full-scale

Space Shuttle The Space Shuttle is a retired, partially reusable low Earth orbital spacecraft system operated from 1981 to 2011 by the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) as part of the Space Shuttle program. Its official program na ...

mockup In manufacturing and design, a mockup, or mock-up, is a scale or full-size model of a design or device, used for teaching, demonstration, design evaluation, promotion, and other purposes. A mockup may be a '' prototype'' if it provides at lea ...

built in 1972 by

North American Rockwell North American Aviation (NAA) was a major American aerospace manufacturer that designed and built several notable aircraft and spacecraft. Its products included: the T-6 Texan trainer, the P-51 Mustang fighter, the B-25 Mitchell bomber, the F ...

. The plastic and wood model was made to promote the company's bid to construct the Space Shuttle fleet.

History

The Space Shuttle Orbiter mockup was constructed by

in 1972. It was shown to

NASA The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA ) is an independent agency of the US federal government responsible for the civil space program, aeronautics research, and space research. NASA was established in 1958, succeedi ...

and

Congress A congress is a formal meeting of the representatives of different countries, constituent states, organizations, trade unions, political parties, or other groups. The term originated in Late Middle English to denote an encounter (meeting of ...

to win approval for the

Space Shuttle program The Space Shuttle program was the fourth human spaceflight program carried out by the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), which accomplished routine transportation for Earth-to-orbit crew and cargo from 1981 to 2011. I ...

. The mockup is approximately the same size and shape as an actual Orbiter. It was also used to design

cable harness A cable harness, also known as a wire harness, wiring harness, cable assembly, wiring assembly or wiring loom, is an assembly of electrical cables or wires which transmit signals or electrical power. The cables are bound together by a durable mate ...

es 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 Center The Columbia Memorial Space Center (CMSC) is a science museum in the Los Angeles area, at 12400 Columbia Way, City of Downey, California, US. It is owned and operated by Downey, and open to the general public as a hands-on space museum and activ ...

Downey, California Downey is a city located in Southeast Los Angeles County, California, United States, southeast of downtown Los Angeles. It is considered part of the Gateway Cities. The city is the birthplace of the Apollo space program. It is also the home ...

, in July 2012.

Refurbishment and naming

After sitting in storage for many years, in 2012, the owners decided to refurbish ''Inspiration''. A 2009 grant proposal estimated the cost of refurbishment and housing at $1,880,000, with about half going to restoration efforts and half to construction of a permanent facility. "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." Originally unnamed, it was named ''Inspiration'' on September 24, 2012.

Display and storage

''Inspiration'' was housed in a tent outside the

Columbia Memorial Space Science Learning Center The Columbia Memorial Space Center (CMSC) is a science museum in the Los Angeles area, at 12400 Columbia Way, City of Downey, California, US. It is owned and operated by Downey, and open to the general public as a hands-on space museum and activi ...

. Despite receiving a $3 million federal loan in May 2013 to build a community center to house the mockup, the Downey City Council voted to place ''Inspiration'' into storage until an executive director was hired to oversee the project. On March 4 and 5, 2014, the replica was disassembled and moved to the city's maintenance yard.

Space Camp Florida and the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame

The Inspiration debuted in 1992 as the "Shuttle To Tomorrow" with a 72-seat theater with a 12-minute video presentation. The crew cabin was also used by Space Camp Florida participants for simulated missions.

Transfer to Kennedy Space Center

After a period of being on display at the US Astronaut Hall of Fame in Titusville, the Inspiration was carried by barge to Kennedy Space Center's Shuttle Landing Facility. The Inspiration was handled by the same rigging and crane company that had moved the

Independence Independence is a condition of a person, nation, country, or state in which residents and population, or some portion thereof, exercise self-government, and usually sovereignty, over its territory. The opposite of independence is the s ...

replica from KSC to Space Center Houston, as well as moving the real

Space Shuttle Atlantis Space Shuttle ''Atlantis'' (Orbiter Vehicle designation: OV‑104) is a Space Shuttle orbiter vehicle which belongs to NASA, the spaceflight and space exploration agency of the United States. ''Atlantis'' was manufactured by the Rockwell ...

to the

Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex The Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex is the visitor center at NASA's Kennedy Space Center on Merritt Island, Florida. It features exhibits and displays, historic spacecraft and memorabilia, shows, two IMAX theaters, and a range of bus tour ...

The new owners pledge to invest approximately $5 million to refurbish the replica and "bring the flight and mid-deck to a very realistic and workable level" and renovate the cargo bay into an immersive environment for guests.

References

External links

Columbia Space Science site
{{DEFAULTSORT:Inspiration, Space Shuttle Space Shuttle tourist attractions Downey, California Tourist attractions in Los Angeles County, California Replica spacecraft