Kennedy Space Center: Space Shuttle Atlantis

Merritt Island, September 2016

This is the second part of the the visit to the Kennedy Space Center.

-o0o-
OV-104

As I told you in the previous post, the Space Shuttle Atlantis is probably the main highlight in the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex. All STS missions were launched from Cape Canaveral using either pads LC-39A or LC-39B (LC for Launch Complex). So it makes sense that KSC kept one Space Shuttle for display. The Atlantis (OV-104) also flown the very last STS mission in July 2011.

The Space Shuttle program was mainly used to build the ISS space station and also to deploy (and also to repair) the Hubble telescope.

The way the Atlantis is revealed in front of the visitors is absolutely brilliant and it will keep you in awe for long seconds.

The shuttle's thermal tiles and engines...

... and also a mock-up of the flight deck.

A total of 6 Space Shuttles were built. The Enterprise, the prototype, which is on display in the Intrepid Museum in NY, only flew atmospheric flights, after being launched from a Boeing 747; Challenger was lost in 1986 during launch; Columbia was lost in 2003 upon reentry; Discovery is on display at the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center; Endeavour will be displayed by California Science Center in the new Samuel Oschin Air and Space center, still awaiting its grand opening to the public.

Endeavour is the only one I haven't seen yet on display.