One of the U.S. Space and Rocket Center’s most recognizable attractions will soon be taken down to begin a restoration process, museum officials announced on Tuesday.
The Pathfinder Space Shuttle exhibit, a one of a kind outdoor exhibit on the Rocket Center’s grounds, is set to be removed for what officials say will be a “multi-year, multi-million dollar” restoration.
The full cost and duration of the restoration are not yet known. A company in Tennessee has been contracted to work with NASA on examining Pathfinder once it is taken down. They will determine the extent of the work that needs doing and how much it will cost.
A total of $1.5 million has been raised for the initial evaluation stage of the restoration. The funding came in the form of a $500,000 grant from the National Park Service and several private sector contributions.
Originally built in 1977 and weighing over 70 tons, the Pathfinder was first a testing vehicle used to aid the space shuttle program’s development. It was remodeled to have its exterior more closely resemble the actual space shuttles in the early 1980s.
After a brief sojourn to Japan for a space expo, the Pathfinder was installed at the Space and Rocket Center in 1988.
The Pathfinder shuttle exhibit is the only full-scale recreation of a launch-ready space shuttle in the world.
Space Camp graduation ceremonies often utilize the external tank on which the Pathfinder is mounted as an overhang. Visitors to the Space and Rocket Center can spot the space shuttle to their left as they park and enter the museum.
The Rocket Center said in a release that private donations from “Tim Sheehy, a seven-time Space Camp and Aviation Challenge alumnus and CEO and Founder of Montana-based Bridger Aerospace; Lockheed Martin Corporation; the late Dr. Joyce Neighbors; and The Daniel Foundation of Alabama,” were among those helping to get the project off the ground.
Public donations are still being taken on the program’s website to help fund the next phases of the restoration process.
Louie Ramirez, Space and Rocket Center executive director and CEO, stated Tuesday, “We are grateful for the support of community partners and the Sheehy family for their help in getting us started on this important project. We look forward to working with our [U.S. Space and Rocket Center] Education Foundation to raise additional funds to continue the work of restoring this important artifact in the future.”
Henry Thornton is a staff writer for Yellowhammer News. You can contact him by email: henry@new-yhn.local or on Twitter @HenryThornton95.
