Skip to content

Seattle Passed Over for Space Shuttle, but We’ll Get a Cool Simulator

Museum of Flight officials say the simulator will be the main attraction at its $12 million Space Ga

By Seattle Mag April 13, 2011

111shuttle_0

And the winner is…not Seattle! Museum of Flight spokespeople and state officials are making the best of NASA’s decision not to send one of its four retired space shuttles to Seattle. The M of F was one of 21 facilities in the running for a shuttle, and the competition was intense. In the end, Seattle was passed over in favor of  the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum, the California Science Center, Kennedy Space Center in Florida, and, for some reason, the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum in New York.

Hard to take, really, given that our region has been a leader in aerospace innovation for decades. But what we’re getting, M of F officials say, might be even better, at least from a visitor standpoint: NASA announced last year that Seattle will get its only “full-fuselage shuttle trainer” – possibly, as early as next year. That means we’ll all be able to climb inside, something we would not be able to do with a real shuttle (those are strictly “no touchy”).

 

Follow Us

Holiday Hunt in Pioneer Square

Holiday Hunt in Pioneer Square

A daily ornament drop turns December into a neighborhood-wide scavenger hunt.

The holidays tend to bring out the kid in all of us. And if opening presents and eating too many treats weren’t enough, there’s also a scavenger hunt in Seattle’s oldest neighborhood. Pioneer Square’s Holiday Ornament Scavenger Hunt has returned for its third year. Twenty-five handblown glass ornaments—all made at Glasshouse Studio—are hidden across 25…

Chit-Chat Kids

Chit-Chat Kids

Phone a friend.

Twenty years ago, before everyone walked around with a device in their pocket, kids used to call each other on a landline—often tethered to the kitchen in their home. It was a simpler time, when parents didn’t have to worry (nearly as much) about a potential predator contacting their child. Nowadays, things are different, which…

A Plate for Pickleball

A Plate for Pickleball

The design celebrates the state’s official sport. Additional plates are on the way.

Washington served up a new license plate last week, honoring the state sport of pickleball. In the works for three years, it’s the second of seven specialty plates to hit the market since getting approved by lawmakers earlier this year. “We’re thrilled to see our efforts become reality,” says Kate Van Gent, vice president of…

Seattle-Based Agency Brings Real Voices to NBC’s New Campaign

Seattle-Based Agency Brings Real Voices to NBC’s New Campaign

DNA&STONE built the project around candid conversations to understand what audiences want from reporting.

“I turned off news altogether. I want to be able to form my own opinions. Just tell the truth.” These lines open NBC News’ new national campaign, a 60-second ad that drifts over forests, farms, neighborhoods, and cityscapes while Americans talk about how worn out they feel by the news. The landscape carries the conversation…