Skip to main content

Sign Up for Our Newsletter

Restore the Rocket City Spaceline

Adopt a Panel of the Space Shuttle Pathfinder

The Pathfinder Puzzle consists of 500 3D printed pieces that will be connected together to form the outer shell of the orbiter.

The panels representing the exterior shell of the Space Shuttle will be attached  to the existing historical Pathfinder test artifact’s steel armature and finished to themed entertainment standards for aerospace replicas. This Shuttle will be reinstalled atop the existing rocket booster stack on display.

Help us restore the Pathfinder piece by piece by naming a piece of the Pathfinder Puzzle today!

$5,000 Level

The Turetsky Family

Steve and Pam Cash

Gift Levels & Benefits

Virtual Piece of the Pathfinder

$5,000 Benefits

  • Name listed on the Space Shuttle Pathfinder page located on the U.S. Space & Rocket Center Education Foundation
  • Name listed on signage at the exhibit
  • Commemorative gift of shuttle foam that encased the external tank
  • Memberships/tickets
    • Corporate: Ten (10) general admission guest passes. Includes INTUITIVE® Planetarium show with admission.
    • Individual: Gemini Membership
  • Invitation to a special-behind-the-scenes museum/camp briefing
  • Annual report
Donate Today

$10,000 Benefits

  • Name listed on the Space Shuttle Pathfinder page located on the U.S. Space & Rocket Center Education Foundation
  • Name listed on signage at the exhibit
  • Commemorative gift of bolt used in securing the original space shuttle covering
  • Memberships/tickets
    • Corporate choice of:
      • Two corporate membership card. Each card admits the cardholder plus five (5) guests free for one year. Does not include INTUITIVE® Planetarium show with admission or
      • Ten (10) general admission guest passes. Includes INTUITIVE® Planetarium show with admission.
      • Individual: Gemini Membership
    • Personal museum staff-led tour with advance notice
    • Invitation to a special-behind-the-scenes museum/camp briefing
    • Annual report
    Donate Today

    $25,000 Benefits

    • Name listed on the Space Shuttle Pathfinder page located on the U.S. Space & Rocket Center Education Foundation website
    • Name listed on signage at the exhibit
    • Commemorative gift that includes a bolt used in securing the original space shuttle covering and a piece of foam from the external tank
    • Memberships/tickets
      • Corporate choice of:
        • Two corporate membership cards. Each card admits the cardholder plus five (5) guests free for one year. Does not include
        •  INTUITIVE® Planetarium show with admission or
        • Twenty (20) general admission guest passes. Includes INTUITIVE® Planetarium show with admission.
      • Individual: Mars Membership
    • VIP tour for up to 10 guests lead by a docent (advance notice required)
    • Invitation to a special-behind-the-scenes museum/camp briefing
    • Annual report
    Donate Today

    Pay or pledge by December 31, 2024 to be included on signage.

    Pathfinder Timeline

    1977

    TEST ARTICLE BUILT

    Originally unnamed, the orbiter on display was the dynamic test article built at the Marshall Space Flight Center. It is approximately the same size, shape and weight of a flight orbiter
    1977-1981

    USING THE PROTOTYPE

    Shipped by barge to the Kennedy Space Center the mock-up was used for ground crew testing in the Vehicle Assembly Building, Orbiter Processing Facility, and Shuttle Landing Facility.
    APRIL 21, 1981

    MISSION SUCCESS

    Successfully completing its mission checking roadway clearances, crane capabilities and fits within structures without requiring use of the more delicate and expensive Enterprise, the Pathfinder was put into storage around the time NASA launched the first Shuttle mission on April 12, 1981.

    JUNE 1983 — AUGUST 1984

    GREAT SPACE SHUTTLE EXPOSITION

    The America-Japan Society, Inc. obtained the wood and steel mockup at a cost of US$1 million and hired Teledyne Brown Engineering to refurbish it to more closely resemble an actual Space Shuttle. It was named Pathfinder and displayed at the Great Space Shuttle Exposition in Tokyo.

    FEBRUARY 1988

    EXTERNAL TANK AND SOLID ROCKET BOOSTERS

    An external tank (MPTA-ET), which had been used for propulsion tests and two filament-wound Solid Rocket Booster casings, which had been designed for polar-orbit launches from Vandenberg Air Force Base were provided by NASA to accompany Pathfinder

    MAY 1988

    PATHFINDER INSTALLATION

    Pathfinder installed atop fuel tank and boosters at the U.S. Space & Rocket Center.

    1999

    SRB FORWARD ASSEMBLIES REMOVED

    In 1999, NASA removed the forward assemblies from each SRB attached to the Pathfinder stack. Although the SRBs are recovered and reused after each flight, several of the forward assemblies had been damaged or lost over the history of the Space Shuttle program necessitating requisition of those attached to the Pathfinder stack as spares.

    2008

    FIRST EVIDENCE OF DETERIORATION

    Corrosion caused the “belly pan,” the floor section near the vehicle’s nose, to drop from a mounting bracket onto the external tank. The damaged area was part of the fiberglass and plywood added to the mockup before its exhibition in Japan. This was the first evidence of a deterioration of the wood and fiberglass covering.

    2020

    SAVE AMERICA’S TREASURES

    The U.S. Space & Rocket Center receives a “Save America’s Treasures” grant for $500,000 for restoration of the artifact.
    JANUARY 2021 — FEBRUARY 2021

    DISASSEMBLY BEGINS

    Disassembly of the wings, vertical stabilizer, and the engines from the orbiter begins.
    FEBRUARY 8, 2021

    PATHFINDER LOWERED

    The test article was lowered from atop the fuel tank for the first time since May 5, 1988. Once on the ground the remainder of the deteriorated wood and fiberglass covering was removed exposing the Pathfinder steel structure.
    JANUARY 12, 2022

    CONCRETE PILLAR REPAIRS

    A full study was done on the structural integrity of the concrete supporting the Shuttle stack. The study included visual inspection, sounding inspection (Impact Echo), checking electrical continuity, and Ground penetrating radar scans. There is evidence of minor water intrusion into the concrete throughout the pillars causing mostly surface delamination with a few areas of more significant water damage.
    MARCH 2022 — MAY 2022

    EXTERNAL TANK REPAIRS

    The foam on the External Tank will be completely removed from the tank using sponge jet blast media. Upon removal of the foam, an inspection will be made of the tank itself for structural integrity before a new foam layer and protective coating is applied.
    MARCH 2022 — MAY 2023

    ORBITER COVER DESIGN AND FABRICATION

    A new cover for the Pathfinder artifact will be designed and fabricated to attach to the Pathfinder artifact. The cover design will utilize additive manufacturing processes with materials used to ensure a long life as an outdoor display.
    JUNE 2022 — AUGUST 2022

    SOLID ROCKET BOOSTER REPAIRS

    The paint will be stripped using the same sponge jet technology used for removing the foam. Once the paint is removed, the boosters will be re-painted. Additionally connecting pins will be replaced and retaining bands around the segment joints will be fabricated and replaced.
    OCTOBER 2022 — JANUARY 2023

    PATHFINDER FRAME REPAIRS

    Near the rear of the frame there are areas with significant water intrusion and rusting that will be addressed. There are also a couple of steel support beams that have buckled over time that will be repaired or replaced.

    Have questions about naming opportunities or payment plans? Contact Emily or Brenda.

    Brenda Carr

    Brenda Carr

    Executive Director
    Email Brenda
    Call Brenda
    Emily Pietrzyk

    Emily Pietrzyk

    Assistant Director of
    Donor & Alumni Relations
    Email Emily
    Call Emily