NASA Space Shuttle Enterprise: Fly-by in Manhattan

The Space Shuttle Enterprise flies over the Hudson River in Manhattan

NASA Space shuttles, Enterprise and Discovery, meet nose-to-nose

Space shuttles Enterprise and Discovery meet nose-to-nose at a transfer ceremony at the Smithsonian's Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Centre in Chantilly, Virginia. Discovery will take the place of Enterprise at the centre.

Picture: Smithsonian Institution via NASA, Carolyn Russo/AP

NASA Space Shuttle Enterprise Lands in NYC on April 23

CREDIT: Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum

Conceptual rendering of Space Shuttle Enterprise as it will be displayed on the flight deck of the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum in the summer of 2012

NASA's space shuttle Enterprise, which never flew in space but did pave the way for the United States' historic 30-year shuttle program, will arrive in New York City on April 23, local space museum officials announced Thursday (March 1).

Space Shuttle Enterprise

The prototype orbiter's arrival in the Big Apple will start its journey to a new display at the Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum, a converted World War II aircraft carrier-turned-museum complex.

Enterprise, which since 2003 has been on display at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum's Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Virginia, will be flown atop NASA's shuttle carrier aircraft, a Boeing 747, from Dulles Airport to John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York City.

Weather permitting, the ferry flight will come less than a week after NASA's most-flown Space Shuttle, Discovery, arrives at the Udvar-Hazy Center to take Enterprise's place within the Smithsonian's collection.

NASA Shuttle Enterprise: Controversial Site Plan for New York Museum

The Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum in New York has a new plan for the Space Shuttle Enterprise.

Instead of a berth next to the aircraft carrier that houses the museum, it would go in a facility to be built in a parking lot across the street, surrounded by storage warehouses, a car wash and a strip club.

The museum does not own the lot, which is designated for manufacturing uses and would have to be re-zoned to house the shuttle.

This has prompted U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) to write a letter urging NASA Administrator Charles Bolden to reconsider his decision on Enterprise.

"This report makes it evident that New York City was, and still is, woefully unprepared to house the Enterprise space shuttle," he wrote.

"This also raises further questions about the thoroughness of NASA's selection process and I urge NASA to revisit its decision to send the Enterprise to New York."

Brown made a pitch in his letter for a site in his state: the National Museum of the United States Air Force near Dayton.

NASA: "Star Trek" crew met the real Shuttle Enterprise

From left to right they are: NASA Administrator Dr. James D. Fletcher; DeForest Kelley, who portrayed Dr. "Bones" McCoy on the series; George Takei (Mr. Sulu); James Doohan (Chief Engineer Montgomery "Scotty" Scott); Nichelle Nichols (Lt. Uhura); Leonard Nimoy (Mr. Spock); series creator Gene Rodenberry; an unnamed NASA official; and, Walter Koenig (Ensign Pavel Chekov).

When NASA rolled out its Space Shuttle Enterprise in 1976 it was met by not only NASA dignitaries, but also some of the cast from the "Star Trek" television series.

According to NASA, there was a good reason for the Star Trek folks to be there.

That's because Enterprise, the first Space Shuttle, was originally to be named Constitution (in honor of the U.S. Constitution's Bicentennial that year).

However, Star Trek viewers started a write-in campaign urging the White House to select the name Enterprise. The rest is history.

USS Enterprise: Over to Manual

Just in case Scottie is on a break!

NASA Space Shuttle Enterprise: National Air and Space Museum

Space Shuttle Enterprise, a test craft that never launched into space, sits in the James S. McDonnell Space Hangar at the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center, an annex to the National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C.

The museum has already been promised one of the three remaining orbiters to put on display. (Photo by Dane Penland, National Air and Space Muse)

The National Museum of the U.S. Air Force in Dayton, Ohio, has a Web site complete with digital plans on where it would house the shuttle, estimated costs and letters of support.So does Johnson Space Center in Houston.

The Air And Space Museum & Planetarium in Tulsa, Okla., has architectural renderings of a new building to house the spaceship and a slick "Land the Shuttle" campaign and Web site.

The approach at Kennedy Space Center, inarguably the nexus of the space shuttle program, is decidedly more low key and that, has gotten the attention of some community and tourism leaders.

If a retired shuttle orbiter is displayed in the county, it would most likely be somewhere within the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex.

Bill Moore, COO of the company that manages the visitor center, said Delaware North has submitted its proposal to NASA.