The retired space shuttle Enterprise found a new home at the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum in New York City at 12:55 p.m. EDT (1655 GMT) on Wednesday (June 6).
NASA's 1970's prototype space shuttle was towed from Jersey City, N.J. to the Intrepid, where thousands of New Yorkers were lined at the West Side waterfront to get the first glimpse and welcome the legendary space shuttle.
The retired space shuttle Enterprise, which never went for any space mission, has been used for atmospheric test flights and experiments on the ground in the late 1970s. Enterprise is the only NASA aircraft that visited several countries and also appeared in the 1983 Paris Air Show and 1984 World's Fair that took place in New Orleans. The retired shuttle even created record for traveling the furthermost around the globe without leaving the atmosphere.
According to a spokeswoman for the Intrepid, Enterprise's right wing tip sustained some damage during the Sunday trip due to gust of wind when it scraped against a bridge's barrier. The towing operation of the 150,000 pound Enterprise to the Intrepid museum flight deck took about four hours. The museum is now working to build a climate-controlled, steel and fabric shelter to cover the shuttle in order to protect it from any further damage while it is on display.
The Intrepid's new "Space Shuttle Pavilion" will be open to the public on July 19. A special three day "SpaceFest" has also been organized at the museum.
Check out the images and video of the space shuttle Enterprise:
