The Shuttle Enterprise is finally at its new home at New York City's Intrepid Sea, Air, and Space Museum. The space shuttle prototype never actually made it to space, but it did have a long journey from planes, cranes, museums, airports, and boats over the past month.
In late April, the Enterprise was removed from the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum in Washington D.C., its home since the center's opening in 2003. The Enterprise, the first shuttle built for NASA's space shuttle program was removed in order to be replaced by the Shuttle Discovery, a shuttle that flew more than any other from NASA's fleet. This comes after NASA ended their space shuttle program in 2011.
The shuttle was towed to Dulles International Airport in Washington D.C., where it was hoisted onto the back of a modified Boeing 747 flight by two cranes.
After several weather delays, the shuttle finally took flight on board the plane, headed for New York on April 27. Thousands watched as the space craft rode on the back of the plane throughout the skies of New York City until it reached John F. Kennedy International Airport, where it was kept in a protective de-icing tent.
On May 3, the 171,000-pound Enterprise was lifted by crane and placed on a barge in a process that took about three hours. It took off on the barge on Sunday, passing by Rockaway in Queens, Coney Island in Brooklyn, and Staten Island to reach its next stop of Weeks Marine in Jersey City, NJ. Thousands of onlookers once again came out all across New York City to see this historical event take place.
The shuttle did hit a rough point on its journey on the sea. While passing its first obstacle, a railroad bridge, the wind picked up and the shuttle grazed the protective wood piling bumpers in the water designed to bumper vessels. Enterprise only suffered minor cosmetic damage on the right wing.
On Monday, Enterprise was set to switch barges to one that contained a crane, at the Jersey City port, however it was delayed due to weather conditions.
On Wednesday, the Shuttle finally set off on the final leg of its long journey. The shuttle cruised up the Hudson River, past the Statue of Liberty and the World Trade Center site, to its new home at the Intrepid museum. The shuttle was once again hoisted by crane onto the floating military and maritime history museum.
Work will begin later this week to raise a steel and fabric shelter over the Enterprise to protect it while on exhibit. The Intrepid's "Space Shuttle Pavilion" will be officially open to visitors on July 19.
Enterprise Is Brought Into New Jersey by Barge
This article is copyrighted by Travelers Today, the travel news leader
