Not Quite the Real Thing

Houston finally got its space shuttle yesterday – sort of.

The mock-up shuttle that sat at the Kennedy Space Center for 18 years arrived by barge at the Johnson Space Center dock at Clear Lake.

Local officials and the Space Center Houston folks are trying their best to cast this booby prize in the best light possible, but the truth is Houston – home of Mission Control for all of the US space program – got royally screwed.

Astronaut Rex Walheim, who flew three shuttle missions during his 16 years with the space program, said he was disappointed when he learned that Houston wouldn't get a shuttle. But he sees the advantage of having a replica, "The main thing about it is you can go inside it."

Unlike the real shuttles, the replica's cockpit will be open to visitors. They also will be able to look into the cargo bay. The replica is indistinguishable from the real thing because it was built from the original plans.

The fake shuttle is cheaper - Space Center Houston is trying to raise $3 million to pay for parts of the shuttle display it wants to erect and the $600,000 cost of shipping it by barge from Florida.

Cities like New York and Los Angeles that got real shuttles must pay NASA about $30 million to make them ready for transport, then millions more for transportation and structures to house them.