New York, NY (May 6, 2013) – The Space Shuttle Pavilion, housing Space Shuttle Enterprise, the original NASA orbiter that paved the way for America’s successful space shuttle program, is scheduled to reopen to the public on Wednesday, July 10, at the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum located at Pier 86 (46th Street and 12th Avenue), in Hudson River Park, in Manhattan.

The new Space Shuttle Pavilion, which replaces the original structure that was damaged by Hurricane Sandy, is currently being constructed around Enterprise and will be completed over the coming weeks.  Visitors will still be able to walk underneath Enterprise which sits 10 feet off of the ground, view Enterprise from a larger observation platform and view a film narrated by actor Leonard Nimoy.

In addition to Enterprise, the Pavilion will be the new home to the Russian Soyuz space capsule and incorporate new experiences designed to immerse visitors of all ages in the sights, sounds and stories of the space shuttle program.  Included will be a soundscape entryway featuring audio between NASA control and Enterprise astronauts, a programmed demonstration stage, and exhibits highlighting shuttle program spin-offs.

“After many months of hard work recovering from Hurricane Sandy we are extremely excited to announce the opening of our new Space Shuttle Pavilion, and to once again share Enterprise with all who visit the museum,” stated Susan Marenoff-Zausner, President of the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum.  “Our team is working hard to bring an incredible exhibit to life that will allow Enterprise to continue to inspire new generations of innovators and dreamers for years to come.”

“The thoughts and prayers of the entire NASA family were with those whose lives were affected by Hurricane Sandy and that includes everyone at the Intrepid Museum who have worked tirelessly in the days, weeks, and months following the storm to restore their valuable collection of aerospace artifacts,” said NASA Administrator Charles Bolden. “We know space shuttle Enterprise is in good and caring hands, and we hope everyone has an opportunity to visit this important part of our space exploration history in the new pavilion.”

Enterprise will remain in this temporary, climate-controlled Space Shuttle Pavilion until a permanent exhibit facility is built. 

Museum admission, including access to the Space Shuttle Pavilion, ranges from $17-$31.  Tickets can be purchased online at www.intrepidmuseum.org.

About the Museum
Now home of the Space Shuttle Enterprise, the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum complex includes the 900-foot-long aircraft carrier Intrepid; the guided missile submarine Growler; and an extensive collection of 27 aircraft including the A-12 Blackbird, the fastest plane in the world, and the British Airways Concorde, the fastest commercial aircraft in the world. Guests can experience areas of the ship including the Flight Deck, Hangar Deck, fo’c’sle (commonly known as the anchor chain room), new multimedia presentations and exhibit collections, interactive educational stations and a state-of-the-art public pier. 

Guests to the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum also can experience the 12,240 square-foot interactive Exploreum – which contains a variety of hands-on exhibits – that teaches guests about the different properties of the sea, air, space and living at sea as each relates to the ship Intrepid. In the Exploreum, guests can experience a flight simulator, transmit messages using Morse code, sit on the bunk of a crewmember, learn how the Intrepid turned salt water into fresh water and perform various tasks while wearing space gloves.

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