School children and other space enthusiasts in West Seattle and beyond will be able to explore the space shuttle mockup called the Full Fuselage Trainer, or FFT, at the Seattle Museum of Flight in June. NASA began disassembling the full-size mockup of the space shuttle last Nov. in preparation for shipping it to the museum. Pictured, Museum of Flight Pres. Douglas King points to the corresponding engine on the little Shuttle model of the 900-pounder that was unveiled today.
4:00 p.m. Tuesday update
One of three engines belonging to the Space Shuttle Trainer arrived yesterday by truck, and was unveiled this morning shortly after 11:00 a.m. at the Seattle Museum of Flight's new Charles Simonyi Space Gallery. It will be on display and will join the rest of the craft. The 9-foot tall artificial engine resembles a giant beehive and is made of porous foam.
Museum President Douglas King separated some stubborn paper with the help of two others to reveal the faux, foam engine. The main sections of the trainer begin arriving June 16 from the NASA Johnson Space Center in Houston, flown into Boeing Field on that "pregnant silver fish" the NASA Super Guppy, a 25-foot by 25-foot by 111-foot long cargo plane. We are told the Super Guppy will be piloted by West Seattle High School alumni, Space Shuttle Astronaut Captain Gregory C. Johnson.
SEATTLE’S MUSEUM OF FLIGHT WELCOMES FIRST PORTION OF NASA’S SHUTTLE TRAINER TUESDAY
Delivery of the three engines just arrived at the Museum of Flight. It is the first of several Shuttle Trainer shipments from NASA occurring over the coming months. On April 17, the Museum of Flight’s Charles Simonyi Space Gallery in Seattle unveils three NASA Shuttle Trainer Engine Bells marking the arrival of the first portion of the Full Fuselage Shuttle Trainer which will be housed permanently in the Space Gallery. Museum of Flight
President and CEO Douglas King will host a brief news conference to announce the arrival and will then unpack one of the three Engine Bells for media and interested public at 11: a.m. Tuesday, April, 17.
WHERE: Museum of Flight’s Charles Simonyi Space Gallery, 9305 East Marginal Way South (park and enter West side of Space Gallery on west side of East Marginal Way)
Mike Bush, Director of Marketing & Public Relations for the museum, just told the West Seattle Herald that each engine weighs about 800 pounds, is about 10 feet by 12 feet or slightly larger, and that the crates are nailed shut extremely tightly and that it is a big job to open them. At least one should be opened in time tomorrow, he said.
You can read about the Shuttle Trainer here.
