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Space shuttle Enterprise moves to new home

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    Former astronaut Tom Jones weighs in

  • Duration 5:12
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-- happening right now the Space Shuttle Enterprise is arriving at its final destination the intrepid sea air and space museum.

And New York City.

Marking a new chapter in the shuttle's history and want to talk a little bit more about this -- Tom Jones a former NASA shuttle astronaut -- -- Fox News contributor and time -- amazing shots and hasty.

The enterprise head -- intrepid to get lifted out there on the on the decade.

A little bit more about enterprise -- we know it never.

Actually entered outer outer space why is it right -- session important shuttle.

Well.

Janet was the first space shuttle to be put together was built on Palmdale California.

And I got this here when I was an air force -- back in 1976 innings later took flight in 77.

On five flights dropped from the 747 to prove.

But the space shuttle orbiter could actually land precisely.

On a runway coming back from space and those are very crucial test flights with astronaut pairs aboard got two astronauts on each of those flights.

So with that enterprise it would be unlikely that.

We would have shuttles -- -- first race at this time.

Well have been out tremendously difficult test flight to launch a shuttle not knowing whether can actually make it back for -- when it would have been entirely too risky so.

Enterprise pave the way for the successful later flights of Columbia and her sister ships.

-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- Are they gonna be able to crawl around inside it what can they do so we're not going to be able to go inside the shuttle time but we're gonna be able to go out pretty close around it.

At guy at anyway didn't the intrepid museum and feature -- -- -- -- we look for if we get close to space shuttle worsen the important things that that we should it.

Next.

Well from the outside -- you'll get -- -- that crew entry hatch where crews climbed in on the launch pad and came out after.

Landing in fact one of the funny stories about enterprises that when.

-- a fortune came back from one of those 747 test -- the attic crawl out of the hatch.

And hop sixty feet in the air -- a cherry picker crane to get out of enterprise that was the scariest moment he said.

On the flight you'll also be able to see the payload bay doors the mock up engines at the tail and also the crucial fuel in less.

And -- -- -- near the belly and rear of the orbiter that's where the big external tank would have been attached for real life so you'll see all the systems that the real shuttles had.

Just tested on the enterprise.

Sixty -- can you imagine John and I just -- into.

After that that that's a scary it is I don't like imagine that it is so much.

Bigger than people imagine you can basically Tom if I'm right you can basically put us a bus in in the cargo bay.

Of of the space shuttle right.

That's correct it's sixty feet long fifteen feet wide and can carry about 50000 pounds of cargo including things like.

The Hubble telescope so.

You know this is the size of a DC nine airliner and people will be very impressed when it's on the deck of the intrepid at the scale of enterprise I didn't realize until I was looking at some of history of this craft that you know you you hear that it's sort of a test orbiter and you think it's built of plywood or something like that.

It's basically a real shuttle they had all the -- in and so for -- they were even considering.

Sending it into space after the challenger disaster but they decided to build -- -- and -- instead.

Right enterprise was built very regularly with that -- construction because it didn't really understand the loads going to and from space yet.

And so after other challenger was lost NASA considered it upgrading its us based capability but they felt that a lighter.

-- -- shuttle turned out to be endeavor would be a better bet for that.

It just strikes -- all time that last week -- believe we're talking about SpaceX the new private ventured to get.

And well I've rocket into space and -- -- shuttle but it was really more rocket to the international space at station up there and as as you see.

And the space program embolden and think about what's ahead is wow.

This curious how you kind of see these -- news items together.

Well.

It's good news that last week SpaceX and its dragon capsule were successful in -- -- to the station.

As the shuttles go to museums and now we can see perhaps a glimmer.

-- -- NASA can reopen supply line to the space station and then eventually in about five years fly astronauts and I would sure like to see that process.

Accelerated and have these commercial ships in service sooner than five years from now.

How many are master not the decent but it isn't -- -- and check out the shadow of.

Well I live very close by here in the -- airport and the -- of our policy center of the national air and space museum were enterprise was on display for nine years.

And I love going to show my friends that shuttle prototype.

Now the discoveries there and I'm certainly gonna make a pilgrimage quickly up to New York to see enterprise and its new mom and -- curious if they if -- never gets old I'm guessing you probably destined.

And no -- -- that was my companion in space and bringing me back to earth and the shuttles are really special to me.

-- appreciated your insights as always be easing up personal special it is TO.

I thank you very much -- have all this streaming by the way on foxnews.com.

C continue to watch the process which is quite an endeavor.

And obviously the -- -- -- -- a lot and in her lifetime more than thirty years of service.

I seeking catch that at foxnews.com we'll have more coverage here on Fox News coming up.

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