Petition to Bring Retired Space Shuttle to Houston

My Fox Houston: Petition to Bring Retired Space Shuttle to Houston
HOUSTON - When the three remaining space shuttles are retired from service later this year, Space Center Houston is hoping to become home for one of them and with your help, it may just happen.

After 30 monumental years of exploration and discovery, NASA’s Space Shuttle Program is scheduled to end this year.

While many museums, science centers and organizations are worthy of showcasing one of the shuttles, the President and CEO of the Space Center said the right home is Houston.

Officials at NASA have given Space Shuttle Discover, the green light for its final launch scheduled on Thursday.

Discovery joins Atlantis and Endeavor as the three US Space Shuttles that will be retired this year.

As NASA transitions more of its multi-billion dollar annual budget towards other spacecraft that can travel deeper into space, Richard Allen, President and CEO of Space Center Houston hopes it will become the permanent home for one of space exploration's most heralded vehicles.

“Well Houston is home of all astronaut training and home to mission control, since the early 70s. JSC Houston designed the shuttle, operated the shuttle, since the very beginning on every shuttle so it makes perfect logical sense that it would be here in Houston at Johnson Space Center,” said Allen.

And there are already plans in place to expand the facility in order to showcase the shuttle.

“Right now its about 53,000 square feet to house the shuttle and what we would focus on is the astronauts and what they were able to accomplish while using the shuttle,” said Allen.

Houston is one of approximately 20 venues across the nation vying to be a final landing spot for a shuttle and if Houston is selected, Richard said it would have a lasting impact.

“It would be about a $45 million annual regional impact and it would generate another $29 million in business value and about 750 jobs. It really allows us to put a program together to draw school kids to the building to be able to use that as a stepping stone to educate them on science technology and mathematics which is so important today for the US,” said Allen.

The US Government is expected to make a decision in the spring and the Space Center is hoping through the outpouring of support, their dream can become a reality.