Space Shuttle Independence
Space Shuttle Independence, formerly known as Explorer, is a full-scale, high-fidelity replica of the Space Shuttle. It was built by Guard-Lee in Apopka, Florida, installed at Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in 1993, and moved to Space Center Houston in 2012.Photo: Alexrudd, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Photo: Robert Linsdell, CC BY 2.0.
- Type: Tourist attraction
- Description: Space Shuttle replica on display at Space Center Houston
- Also known as: “Explorer”, “Independence”, “Shuttle Independence”, and “Space Shuttle Explorer”
Places of Interest Nearby
Highlights include Space Center Houston and Johnson Space Center.
Space Center Houston
Museum
Photo: Wikimedia, CC BY-SA 2.0.
Space Center Houston is a science museum that serves as the official visitor center of NASA Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas. It was designated a Smithsonian Affiliate museum in 2014. Space Center Houston is situated 340 feet south of Space Shuttle Independence.
Johnson Space Center
Research institute
Photo: NASA, Public domain.
The Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center is NASA's center for human spaceflight in Houston, Texas, where human spaceflight training, research, and flight control are conducted. Johnson Space Center is situated 1 mile northeast of Space Shuttle Independence.
Christopher C. Kraft Jr. Mission Control Center
Building
Photo: Wikimedia, Public domain.
NASA's Christopher C. Kraft Jr. Mission Control Center, also known by its radio callsign, Houston, is the facility at the Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas, that manages flight control for the United States human space program, currently involving astronauts aboard the International Space Station. Christopher C. Kraft Jr. Mission Control Center is situated 3,600 feet northeast of Space Shuttle Independence.
Places in the Area
Nearby places include Nassau Bay and Clear Lake.
Nassau Bay
Village
Photo: Mike Fisher, CC BY 2.0.
Nassau Bay is a city in Harris County, Texas, United States, bordering the outermost southeastern edge of the city of Houston. It is located in the Clear Lake Area near Galveston Bay, directly adjacent to the Lyndon B.
Clear Lake
Photo: Carol M. Highsmith, CC0.
Clear Lake is a district of Houston. It is home to NASA's Johnson Space Center. The area's boating opportunities are considered second only to those of Miami. Fishing, swimming, hiking, and history are also popular activities in the area.
Webster
Photo: Wikimedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Webster is a city in the U.S. state of Texas located in Harris County, within the Houston–The Woodlands–Sugar Land metropolitan area. Its population was 12,499 at the 2020 U.S. census.
Space Shuttle Independence
- Categories: Space Shuttle orbiter, replica, exhibit, museum, building, and tourism
- Location: Harris County, Texas, United States, North America
- View on OpenStreetMap
Latitude
29.55205° or 29° 33′ 7″ northLongitude
-95.09721° or 95° 5′ 50″ westOpen location code
76X6HW23+R4OpenStreetMap ID
way 894077622OpenStreetMap feature
building=museumOpenStreetMap feature
tourism=attractionWikidata ID
Q994165
This page is based on OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons, and Wikipedia.
We’d love your help improving our open data sources. Thank you for contributing.
Satellite Map
Discover Space Shuttle Independence from above in high-definition satellite imagery.
In Other Languages
From Asturian to Ukrainian—“Space Shuttle Independence” goes by many names.
- Asturian: “Independence”
- Bulgarian: “Иксплорър”
- Chinese: “独立号航天飞机”
- Dutch: “Explorer”
- Dutch: “Independence”
- Dutch: “Spaceshuttle Explorer”
- German: “Independence (Raumfähre)”
- German: “Independence”
- Hebrew: “מעבורת החלל אקספלורר”
- Hungarian: “Explorer űrrepülőgép”
- Italian: “Space Shuttle Explorer”
- Italian: “Space Shuttle Independence”
- Japanese: “エクスプローラー”
- Japanese: “スペースシャトル・インディペンデンス”
- Polish: “Explorer”
- Polish: “Independence”
- Russian: “Индепенденс”
- Russian: “Эксплорер (шаттл)”
- Swedish: “Explorer”
- Swedish: “Independence”
- Ukrainian: “Експлорер (шатл)”
- Ukrainian: “Експлорер”
Notable Places Nearby
Highlights include Shuttle Carrier Aircraft and White Room.
Nearby Places
Explore places such as Visitor Center and Gift Station.
Texas: Must-Visit Destinations
Delve into Houston, Austin, Dallas, and San Antonio.
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