Space Center Houston sets date for NASA shuttle carrier's move to new home



less Workers from Boeing dismantle the NASA Shuttle Carrier Aircraft at Ellington Field on Friday, March 21, 2014, in Houston. The specially modified 747 that was used for three decades to ferry the space shuttle across the country will be moved to Space Center Houston where it will anchor a new $12 million exhibit with the center's full-scale mockup of the space shuttle atop it. The move is planned for April, with the exhibit scheduled to open in 2015. Workers from Boeing dismantle the NASA Shuttle Carrier Aircraft at Ellington Field on Friday, March 21, 2014, in Houston. The specially modified 747 that was used for three decades to ferry the space shuttle ... more Photo: Smiley N. Pool, Houston Chronicle Photo: Smiley N. Pool, Houston Chronicle Image 1 of / 39 Caption Close Space Center Houston sets date for NASA shuttle carrier's move to new home 1 / 39 Back to Gallery

The Boeing 747 jumbo jet that ferried dozens of space shuttles from landing sites in California and New Mexico back to Florida will be moving from its current spot in a remote part of Ellington Field to its new home just outside the front doors of Space Center Houston.



According to Space Center Houston's Facebook page, the move will begin on the night of April 28 and continue the next evening to sidestep any major traffic concerns for Clear Lake residents. Nine large plane pieces will be moved over two nights.



Last week, the Houston Chronicle's own Eric Berger wrote about the work being done to the NASA 905, a modified 747 that was made famous for its starring role in ferrying the space shuttle across the country.

The aircraft's flights were big events, seemingly leaving Houston at a standstill while it took the shuttle Endeavour for a ride to Ellington Field in September 2012.



After the 747's parts arrive at Space Center Houston, work will begin on reassembling it and placing the Independence shuttle mock-up on top of it for a planned $12 million, six-story interactive attraction. Unlike the space-worn shuttles currently at other sites around the United States, this will be the only shuttle -- albeit a mock-up -- that the public will be able to tour.

This move will be a big event in the Clear Lake area. A 1,000-foot trailer convoy is hard to ignore. When the shuttle mock-up was making its way to Space Center Houston it was quite an event in itself.