The U.S. Space & Rocket Center's project to install Shuttle Training Aircraft NASA 945 in Shuttle Park is well underway, with support stanchions as well as a concrete runway and walkways in place. Just recently, Gulfstream has come on board to assist with disassembling the aircraft in Birmingham, overseeing the relocation process, and re-assembling the STA at the Rocket Center. The goal now is to assemble a team of skilled volunteers to assist on both ends with the Gulfstream experts.
The Center is also raising the remaining funds to complete the first phase of the exhibition. This effort will allow us to add a canopy to protect the STA from the elements, a landing to provide interior access to museum guests and Space CampĀ® or Aviation ChallengeĀ® Camp trainees as well as a replica of the White Sands/Shuttle Landing Facility runway the STAs used and landscaping and storm drainage.
The STA project began in spring 2014 when more than 300 individuals and businesses raised $70,000 through Indiegogo, an international crowd-funding website, to land the aircraft in Shuttle Park. The Space Camp Alumni Advancement Board has also championed this project from the start. The board members meet regularly with the exhibit staff and Foundation staff at the Center to monitor progress and assist in any way they can.
This STA is one of four training aircraft used by NASA to train space shuttle astronauts for landing the shuttle orbiter. It was created by modifying the Grumman Gulfstream II to duplicate the space shuttle orbiter's approach profile, handling qualities and pilot controls. This allowed Space Shuttle pilots to simulate landing the orbiter under controlled conditions before their scheduled missions.
The support of our STA project helps preserve an essential part of the space shuttle era and creates an inspiring exhibit showcasing the intersection of aviation and space exploration. To learn more about this project, or to donate, please
click here.