Enterprise never flew into space, but it will be flying on the back of a 747 from the Washington area to New York.
“New York obviously has the potential to deliver a lot of viewers to a space shuttle,” says Robert Pearlman, editor of collectSPACE.com.
New York’s high tourist traffic could make Enterprise the most viewed of the shuttles, Mr. Pearlman notes, and museum officials estimate that about 1 million people will view the shuttle each year. But is Enterprise as prized as the other shuttles?
In an informal poll by the CBS TV affiliate in New York, 46 percent of respondents said getting the shuttle was a snub; they preferred one that had reached space. Neal, who currently cares for Enterprise at the National Air and Space Museum, disagrees with that sentiment.
“It’s not at all a consolation prize. It’s a prize in its own right,” she says. “We have known and loved her for a very long time.”
