| There's nothing quite like first opening a boxed model | | | | to suppose that there were also some Star Trek |
| set, inspecting all the parts and pieces and creating | | | | fans in NASA's ranks. The Enterprise made its flights |
| that perfect picture in your head of your model | | | | starting in 1976 and the success of these tests |
| already constructed. Those first moments could only | | | | proved that the design for the shuttles worked well. |
| be eclipsed after many hours of hard and dedicated | | | | KYNASAO2T however, is the Discovery, which is |
| work when you've finally pieced the model together | | | | one of NASA's three working space shuttles. The |
| and carefully placed on their designed spots the last | | | | Discovery has had 34 flights so far with the 35th one |
| couple of stickers. For space buffs, the KYNASAO2T | | | | coming the last day of May, 2008. This 2010, the |
| Space Shuttle Orbiter allows you to imagine that | | | | Discovery is set to be de-commissioned with that |
| beautiful ship on its flights to and from the space | | | | Space Shuttle Orbiter being replaced by the newer |
| orbital stations. You could just picture that ship | | | | Orion Crew Exploration Vehicle. The model |
| standing tall in the Kennedy Space Center in Cape | | | | spacecraft, of course, would presumably be available |
| Canaveral, Florida, strapped to one main rocket and | | | | long after 2010, but collectors are getting them now |
| two boosters and with the speakers blaring out that | | | | to add to their collections. The Discovery, along with |
| familiar countdown. After that comes the fiery blast | | | | its sister shuttles have been a part of history, and |
| as it lifts up towards the skies. You could also picture | | | | have in many times caught the public's eye. One only |
| that shuttle docking to the Mir Space Station, its | | | | has to remember the Columbia and Challenger |
| baydoors opening as the astronauts in their | | | | disasters that have made people remember not to |
| spacesuits slowly float out of the vehicle as they do | | | | take for granted these space missions and earned a |
| their spacewalks. Man's destiny, perhaps, is in the | | | | greater respect for these astronauts. |
| stars; the model of the space shuttle you hold in | | | | After the model is finished and everything has been |
| your hands a manifestation of so many men's | | | | set to dry, why not show a child the Space Shuttle |
| dreams. | | | | Orbiter? Perhaps the experience of being able to |
| What a history the space shuttle orbiter has. The | | | | touch well-made models of these spacecrafts could |
| first completed Space Shuttle Orbiter, Enterprise, was | | | | awaken in the child a greater interest in science and |
| created just for tests to see how the design would | | | | learning. He doesn't really have to become interested |
| hold up in the atmosphere. It wasn't initially supposed | | | | in being an astronaut, exactly, but he could be |
| to be called Enterprise. The plan was to call the | | | | interested in being an engineer, or an inventor, |
| Space Shuttle Orbiter, Constitution. However, people | | | | perhaps. And perhaps he'd have an idea of just what |
| began writing to NASA to call it Enterprise, coming | | | | is truly possible when we as people work together to |
| from the USS Enterprise from the TV show Star | | | | create the means to reach our dreams. |
| Trek. NASA agreed to this; it wouldn't be a stretch | | | | |