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Intrepid Lands NASA Space Shuttle Enterprise

By DNAinfo Staff on April 12, 2011 11:29am  | Updated on April 13, 2011 6:33am

By Tara Kyle

DNAinfo Reporter/Producer

MANHATTAN — A space shuttle will land in New York — but not one that's ever actually orbited the planet.

The Enterprise, a prototype shuttle with only test flights under its belt, will dock at the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum, NASA announced Tuesday afternoon.

Mike Hallahan, of Brooklyn who was a helicopter crew member on the Intrepid in 1958-59, said he was not disappointed that the museum did not get the Discovery space shuttle, because the Enterprise has a connection to the Intrepid — a former Intrepid pilot, Admiral Richard Truly, once flew it.

"We were there from the get-go, so now to get the shuttle is wonderful," Hallahan said. "It's the topping of the cake."

The Discovery, which completed its last mission in March, will be heading into retirement at the Smithsonian museum in Washington D.C., NASA announced Tuesday.
The Discovery, which completed its last mission in March, will be heading into retirement at the Smithsonian museum in Washington D.C., NASA announced Tuesday.
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NASA/Getty Images

About 20 locations nationwide were competition to be the home of the three soon-to-be retired space shuttles: Atlantis, Discovery and Endeavour. The Enterprise became available when the Smithsonian in Washington D.C. was awarded shuttle Discovery, which flew its last flight in March.

Enterprise will move to New York after being housed in the Smithsonian's Air and Space Museum in Washington D.C. since November 1985. Atlantis is heading to the Kennedy Space Center Visitor’s Complex in Florida. Endeavor will call the California Science Center in Los Angeles home.

"This was a very difficult decision, but one that was made with the American public in mind," NASA Administrator Charles Bolden said Tuesday. "In the end, these choices provide the greatest number of people with the best opportunity to share in the history and accomplishments of NASA's remarkable Space Shuttle Program."

Tuesday's news follows an emotional, year-long campaign to bring one of three retiring shuttles — the Atlantis, Discovery and Endeavour — to Manhattan.

"I think it's very important for the museum to have this, it's important for the children in particular to be able to visualise material history," said Sam Folsom, 90, who is a volunteer at the museum and who was a navy test pilot in his day.

A retired police officer visiting the Intrepid museum from Aberdeen, Scotland, said he had been dreaming of his trip to the Intrepid for five years.

"What an excellent reason to come back to this place to visit again," he said.

"The excitement is to be able to see and almost touch something you've read about for so long, and to me I couldn't care less if it's been to space."

The Intrepid amassed more than 152,000 signatures in an online petition asking for a space shuttle. The museum hosted a viewing party Tuesday afternoon, simulcasting the decision announcement on its 40-foot video wall.

The City Council and many politicians, including Sens. Kirsten Gillibrand and Charles Schumer, also supported the Intrepid's efforts to land a space shuttle.

The Intrepid's historic connection to the space program — in the 1960s, the vessel served as a recovery vehicle for astronauts on Mercury 7 and Gemini 3 missions — formed part of the argument for bringing a shuttle here.

The winning bidders must pay NASA $29 million to cover preparation and transfer costs for each shuttle.

Discovery, which flew 39 flights over its 27 years of service, made its last flight in March. Endeavour is slated to make its final voyage on April 29, according to NASA's website. Atlantis will make it's final flight on June 28.