http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/l...,4797845.story
Adler to get shuttle? Heaven knows
Planetarium, among 21 institutions vying for 4 ships, will find out Tuesday
Adler Planetarium finds out Tuesday whether it will be the retirement home of one of NASA's four space shuttles.
Competition has been hot among 21 institutions vying for the shuttles — Discovery, Atlantis, Endeavour and Enterprise, a prototype model that was never flown in space — despite a price tag on obtaining and displaying the spacecraft that could run to $100 million.
One shoo-in appears to be the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum in Washington D.C., which earlier was promised a shuttle by NASA.
Endeavour is scheduled to take off on its final flight April 29, and Atlantis' last flight is scheduled to launch June 28. Then NASA will shutter the fleet and the program.
At a 90-minute televised ceremony Tuesday from the Kennedy Space Center celebrating the 50th anniversary of Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin's first manned spaceflight and the 30th anniversary of the first shuttle spaceflight, NASA chief Charles Bolden will announce the institutions that will be getting the retired shuttles.
Adler will carry the broadcast live for its visitors, beginning at noon in its Universe Theater.
"We are cautiously optimistic about getting one of the shuttle vehicles," said Adler President Paul Knappenberger, who said he met with NASA officials a couple of weeks ago for a final review of the planetarium's bid.