October 25, 2024

TWiS 134: The Spruce Space Shuttle - Ben Dickow and the Columbia Memorial Space Center

1 hour 9 minutes

Many of us have visited the various displays of space shuttles around the US, and it's always a spectacular sight. The shuttle orbiter was huge, and seeing in any configuration is inspirational. Notably, the California Science Center is completing a display of the Endeavor in a launch configuration, which is unique among shuttle installations. But the very first shuttle mockup ever constructed will soon go on public display in its birthplace in Southern California, the city of Downey. This is where North American Rockwell, the builder of all the shuttles, was located until they were absorbed by Boeing decades ago. It was in the Rockwell facility that the first wood-and-aluminum mockup of the shuttle was built, and it's been stored until this day under the control of the Columbia Memorial Space Center. Of special interest: besides its uses as a technical simulator, this mockup was what closed the deal between NASA and Rockwell to build the shuttles and inspired many in Congress to support the program. The museum's Executive Director and President, Ben Dickow, joins us to talk about this magnificent, full-sized shuttle mockup, its history, and future plans.

Headlines:

• SpaceX's Crew-8 mission returned to Earth after a record-breaking 235 days in space, but one crew member remains in the hospital for additional medical checks

• Boeing's Intelsat satellite broke up in geosynchronous orbit, creating around 5,000 pieces of space debris, posing potential long-term threats to other satellites

• India announced plans for Chandrayaan-4, a lunar sample return mission targeting the Moon's south pole in 2027-2028

• Chinese company Deep Blue Aerospace aims to start offering space tourist flights by 2027 on a suborbital rocket and capsule that resembles a hybrid of SpaceX's Dragon and Blue Origin's New Shepard

Main Topic - Interview with Ben Dickow:

• The Columbia Memorial Space Center in Downey, California houses Inspiration, a full-scale wooden mock-up of the space shuttle built by Rockwell International in 1972

• Inspiration was used as an engineering tool and to help secure the shuttle contract for Rockwell, impressing both NASA and Congressional leaders who visited

• The mock-up features highly detailed interiors, including a crew cabin, flight deck, and cargo bay

• After being mothballed for years, Inspiration was recently moved to the Columbia Memorial Space Center for display in a new building

• Southern California will soon have the first and last space shuttles on display, with Inspiration in Downey and Endeavour in Los Angeles

• Ben emphasizes the importance of preserving the shuttle's history and using it as an educational tool to inspire future generations of engineers and scientists

• The emotional power of seeing a space shuttle up close and the human stories behind its creation are key to the exhibit's impact

Hosts: Rod Pyle and Tariq Malik

Guest: Ben Dickow

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