Product Description
Assemble me. Take a journey to space with me!
The Space Shuttle Discovery was the third of five reusable NASA orbiters, logging 39 launches and landings between 1984 and 2011—the most flights of any spacecraft in history. Perhaps its greatest accomplishment was the April 25, 1990 deployment of the Hubble Space Telescope ("HST") which revolutionized astronomy and astrophysics, particularly our understanding of the age and expansion of the universe. With characteristics of a rocket (for vertical launch) and a glider aircraft (for landings), space shuttles were the workhorses of America's space program at the turn of the 21st Century and were critical to the construction and maintenance of the ISS (International Space Station).
Now, you can build this iconic orbiter and imagine yourself participating in its signature mission to further the work of exploration and scientific discovery in launching the Hubble telescope. Ugears' NASA Space Shuttle Discovery model is actually a remarkable three-in-one: orbiter, stand, and satellite. The Shuttle is a 1:96 scale model of Discovery, with two cargo bays that open to reveal the HST model, which features movable solar panels and an aperture door. The Shuttle's front and rear bays open independently for storing or launching the telescope. To open the front cargo bay, turn the wheel near the cabin in the direction of the arrow marked "Open." A similar wheel on the tail section opens and closes the rear cargo bay. Place the telescope on the Shuttle's robotic arm for deployment and spin the arm using a dial located on the belly of the orbiter.
