Secretary Clough on Discovery’s Next Mission
The retired space shuttle will fly one last time – to the Air and Space Museum's Udvar-Hazy Center
- By G. Wayne Clough, Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution
- Smithsonian magazine, April 2012, Subscribe
Vessels christened Discovery have been part of historic voyages: Henry Hudson’s Northwest Passage expedition, James Cook’s 18th-century South Pacific journey, the 1875 British Arctic Expedition’s attempt to reach the North Pole. In April, the latest in this proud line, the space shuttle Discovery, will fly one last time, landing at the National Air and Space Museum’s Udvar-Hazy Center, where it will inspire generations of visitors to come. Discovery has flown farther and longer than any other human-piloted spacecraft; it was the first to dock with the International Space Station; it launched the Hubble Space Telescope. Like that innovative telescope, Discovery will reveal new and unexpected insights.
Thanks to NASA’s generosity, millions of students of all ages have learned about spaceflights from the prototype shuttle Enterprise at Udvar-Hazy. Taking its place, Discovery and hundreds of new artifacts will bring a richer perspective to the historical and scientific significance of the space-shuttle program, one of our country’s greatest achievements. As Discovery astronaut Mike Fossum recently told an audience at the Air and Space Museum, it is important to see artifacts like these “in context, to see them with your own eyes instead of just reading about them.” Discovery will help inspire young and old alike to imagine piercing the atmosphere at more than 17,000 miles per hour in this engineering marvel.
Astronauts exemplify the American spirit and capture our imagination, combining work ethic, idealism, daring and scientific expertise. I have been fortunate to meet many of them, both when I was president of Georgia Tech and now as Secretary of the Smithsonian. Discovery’s last pilot, Eric Boe, is one of many Georgia Tech alumni who have flown in space, and during NASA’s 40th anniversary celebration of humans’ first lunar landing, I was thrilled to meet Neil Armstrong, Michael Collins and Buzz Aldrin here at the Smithsonian. Discovery will help us share the stories of these exceptional American pioneers.
Just as important as its stories and answers about spaceflight are the questions Discovery will spark: What will the next mode of space travel be? How will we conquer the challenges ahead? Where will we explore next? The Smithsonian uses its resources to encourage people all around the world to think big. Discovery will inspire millions of people who will visit Udvar-Hazy in the coming years, especially schoolchildren, some of whom we hope will be the next scientists staffing mission control, engineers building advanced spacecraft and astronauts traversing the cosmos.
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