I brought my brother-in-law from Korea to there one time not long after it opened. After spending the requisite half-hour drooling all over the floor by the SR-71 we went into the space flight hanger.
I pointed to the shuttle there and said "look at that! it's a space ship!" Another visitor looked over at me and said "no that's just a...." eyes widened in sudden awareness, "I guess...I guess it is a space ship!"
My brother-in-law excitedly asked "this is a great model, where's the real thing?"
"That's the real thing, you're 5 feet from an actual, real space ship."
Mind blown, we next walked over to the actual Enola Gay...which sits not too far from an actual Concord.
It's an absolutely mind-blowing awe inspiring place.
edit BTW, the shuttle flew at 17,500 mph (28,000 kph) so fast you could see the sunrise or sunset every 45 minutes. That's Mach 22.
If the Shuttle were flying at sea level, yes. But of course it isn't. Mach number is meaningless in orbit.
(During reentry, once the atmosphere is thick enough for Mach number to be meaningful, I believe the highest readings seen are Mach 25 to 26, since the speed of sound is lower at high altitude.)
I pointed to the shuttle there and said "look at that! it's a space ship!" Another visitor looked over at me and said "no that's just a...." eyes widened in sudden awareness, "I guess...I guess it is a space ship!"
My brother-in-law excitedly asked "this is a great model, where's the real thing?"
"That's the real thing, you're 5 feet from an actual, real space ship."
Mind blown, we next walked over to the actual Enola Gay...which sits not too far from an actual Concord.
It's an absolutely mind-blowing awe inspiring place.
edit BTW, the shuttle flew at 17,500 mph (28,000 kph) so fast you could see the sunrise or sunset every 45 minutes. That's Mach 22.