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an Artifact

Adopt an Artifact This May

Celebrate the Year of Aviation!

This May, join us in honoring the Year of Aviation by Adopting an Aviation Artifact at the U.S. Space & Rocket Center!

It’s more than a donation—it’s your chance to adopt a piece of history and help preserve the legacy of flight for future generations. Every artifact has a story. With your support, those stories will continue to inspire.

Be a part of aviation history.
Adopt today and make a lasting impact.

Artifacts

A-12 Oxcart

F-14A Tomcat

This aircraft, an F-14A, Bureau Number 160661, was a part of Navy Fighter Squadron VF-51, aboard the USS Carl Vinson (CVN-70) on its maiden voyage and in VF-124 at Naval Air Station Miramar, CA, where it served as a training aircraft. This aircraft also participated in a NASA effort to improve F-14 maneuvering. The F-14 Tomcat was a supersonic, twin-engine, variable sweep wing, two-seat fighter designed for the US Navy. The F-14’s AWG-9 radar was a powerful Pulse-Doppler, multi-mode system that tracked up to 24 targets simultaneously, attacked six targets with its Phoenix AIM-54A missiles closed-circuit while continuing to scan the airspace.

Adopt Today

Thank you to these $150-plus Adopt an Artifact donors.

In Honor of Joseph Corso

In Memory of Gerald Powers

Taylor Ford

William “Hotdog” and Tosha Hudson

Wes Kelley

Brian Kirkland

In Honor of Joint Task Force 15

In Honor of James May

In Honor of Mark Zinck

In Honor of Makayla Shane

Daniel Thompson

Kaeden Vallejo

In Honor of Lucas Young

Robert McDermott

S.D.B. Consultants, LTD

Zachary Colescott

Cassandra Reid

Mason Nall

Emily Costigan

John “Goose” Guzior

Christopher Malone

George Adornato

Gretchen Green

Andrew Salas

Holton Jackson

Pathfinder

The Pathfinder was constructed at the Marshall Space Flight Center in 1977 as an Orbiter Simulator. It was designed to be a stand-in for the Orbiter Enterprise, which was to be involved in extensive ground testing at the center. In early 1978, the Pathfinder was hoisted to the top of Marshall’s 4OO-foot tall Dynamics Test Stand in “dry runs” for the Mated Vertical Ground Vibration Tests planned for Enterprise. It was destined to become part of the world’s only launch configuration (full stack) shuttle display. In May of 1988 Pathfinder was placed on top of the External Tank in Shuttle Park.

Adopt Today

Thank you to these $150-plus Adopt an Artifact donors.

John Cannon

Michael Cosner

In Honor of Olivia Saraceni

In Honor of Tyler Dobson

In Honor of Renee and Lauren Driver

In Honor of the Eckard Family

Kevin Ficek

Veronica Foreman

In Memory of Crew of Columbia’s STS 107

Kyle and Kim Freundl

James Gamble

In Honor of Olivia Hammond

Brian Kirkland

In Honor of Jack Ellis

David McKinley

Scott Mickle

Jimmy Powell

In Honor of Grace Roberts

Tim Rosener

Peter Ryan

Patricia Sallin

Keith Schonrock III

Robert Shaw

In Memory of Quentin Soprano

In Memory of Joshua Stokes

In Honor of Bruce Thomas

In Honor of Sarah Grace Walder

C & M Property Holdings LLC

Solar Eclipse Timer

Kevin Flahaut

Jacqueline Brody

Brian Dicken

Christopher Lane

Jonathan Hinds

Moses Chen

Charles Woodward

Sharon Timmons

Jennifer Clouse

Frederick Lawrence

John Freeze

Gretchen Green

In Memory of David A. Belcher

Carole Graham

Christina Hansen

In Honor of Space Camp Counselors Everywhere!

Doug Hibbard

Shuttle Training Aircraft (STA)

Adoption Levels

$25 Adoption Kit

A personalized adoption certificate (PDF download only)
A photograph and history card of your adopted artifact (PDF download only)

Kits will be emailed for download.

Adopt