From head on, it looks like a giant Snoopy. But it's a Space Shuttle, and it lives right in the heart of New York City.
The Intrepid Sea, Air, and Space Museum in New York City is one of only a handful of lucky institutions to have an actual Space Shuttle on display (there are only four still in existence since two were destroyed in heartbreaking and horrible accidents). This Space Shuttle is Enterprise, and was NASA's test shuttle to see if a reusable, landable spacecraft was possible.
While Enterprise never flew into space, it was no less important than the other shuttles. Enterprise piggy-backed on a Boeing 747 airplane and was let go, to see if it could glide to a safe landing. When that mission was a success, it paved the way for the actual space-looking missions.
Getting up close to Enterprise, which was named after the USS Enterprise from Star Trek, some people say it's bigger than they imagined and others say it is smaller. And that's why seeing something like a real Space Shuttle up close is something that is so special to people. And not only does the Space Shuttle Pavilion at the Intrepid house the Space Shuttle itself, but also a number of items we use every day that have their origins in NASA technology and that are a direct result of the NASA missions. Some will blow your mind and should not be taken for granted.
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