INTREPID SEA, AIR & SPACE MUSEUM’S
SPACE SHUTTLE PAVILION
SHOWCASING
THE SPACE SHUTTLE ENTERPRISE

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PAVILION TO OPEN TO THE PUBLIC THURSDAY, JULY 19
++ “SAMSUNG SpaceFest” taking place from July 19-22

Inside Intrepid’s Space Shuttle Pavilion, Enterprise sits just 10 feet off the ground, allowing visitors to walk underneath and around the original NASA orbiter that paved the way for America’s successful space shuttle program. Dramatic lighting and a series of backlit images and panels, along with video stations throughout the exhibition walls, explain the space shuttle orbiter both as an experimental space plane, as well as a vehicle that enables a greater understanding of science and technology. Surrounding exhibits highlight the people who made this aerospace creation a reality while historic photographs and film footage emphasize the story of Enterprise as the prototype space shuttle orbiter and illuminate its relationship to NASA’s historic role in experimental aircraft throughout the twentieth century. A display of donors whose names are captured in a star exhibit show the breadth of the grassroots support from individuals nationwide for Enterprise’s presence in New York City. Finally, a short film narrated by Leonard Nimoy traces the dramatic history of Enterprise and the space shuttle program.

The Space Shuttle Enterprise was NASA’s first space shuttle, a prototype that conducted critical tests within Earth’s atmosphere in 1977. These pioneering tests paved the way for the successful orbital flights of later shuttles, beginning with the first flight of the Space Shuttle Columbia in 1981. Following the retirement of the shuttles in 2011, NASA awarded Enterprise to the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum.

The pavilion opens to the public on Thursday, July 19. To celebrate the grand opening of the Space Shuttle Pavilion, the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum is presenting “SAMSUNG SpaceFest,” a festival that will offer guests more than 40 interactive displays, activities and exhibitions from Thursday, July 19 through Sunday, July 22. Activities include a free concert and free public screening of the film Star-Trek on Intrepid’s Flight Deck and a professional development workshop for teachers. “SAMSUNG SpaceFest” is proudly supported by Samsung Smart TV and Time Warner Cable.