Space Shuttle Inspiration facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Inspiration
Country	United States
Contract award	North American Rockwell
Status	In storage

The Space Shuttle Inspiration is a full-size model of a Space Shuttle. It was built in 1972 by a company called North American Rockwell. This model, made of plastic and wood, helped the company show off their ideas for building the real Space Shuttle fleet.

What is Space Shuttle Inspiration?

This Space Shuttle model was built in 1972. It was shown to NASA and the U.S. Congress. The goal was to help get the Space Shuttle program approved. The model is almost the same size and shape as a real Space Shuttle Orbiter.

Engineers also used it to design the many wires and cables inside the real shuttles. They also tested if flight parts would fit correctly.

Where is Inspiration Now?

NASA later left the model behind. So, the property owners decided to put it on display. In July 2012, it was shown temporarily at the Columbia Memorial Space Center in Downey, California.

Fixing Up and Naming

The Inspiration model sat in storage for many years. In 2012, its owners decided to fix it up. They wanted to make it look good again.

The model was starting to show its age. Its outer skin, made of plywood, was bending a little. Some parts inside were also falling apart. Delicate plastic pieces were cracking.

The model did not have a name at first. It was officially named Inspiration on September 24, 2012.

Being on Display

Inspiration was kept in a large tent outside the Columbia Memorial Space Center in Downey, California. The city of Downey received money to build a community center to house the model. However, the city council decided to put Inspiration back into storage. They wanted to wait until a new director was hired for the project.

On March 4 and 5, 2014, the model was taken apart. It was then moved to the city's maintenance yard for storage.

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