Space Shuttle Independence, formerly known as Explorer, is a full-scale, high-fidelity replica of the Space Shuttle. It was built by Guard-Lee in Apopka, Florida, installed at Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in 1993, and moved to Space Center Houston in 2012. It was built using schematics, blueprints and archival documents provided by NASA and by shuttle contractors such as Rockwell International. While many of the features on the replica are simulated, some parts, including the landing gear's Michelin tires, have been used in the Space Shuttle program.The model is 122.7 ft (37.4 m) long, 54 ft (16 m) high, has a 78 ft (24 m) wingspan, and weighs 171,860 lb (77,950 kg).
Explorer, was displayed at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex atop cement pilings and secured with steel cabling. Visitor access was provided by a gantry-style tower with ramps and an elevator for accessibility. Inside, visitors could view a mock-up payload, a mannequin wearing an early model of the orange launch/entry pressure suit used by shuttle astronauts, and a mock cockpit with controls and instruments. Adjacent to Explorer were two solid rocket boosters mated to a full-size mock-up of an external tank (originally used by Stennis Space Center for fit tests).
Due to KSC receiving the retired Atlantis, Space Shuttle Explorer was removed from the KSC Visitor Center on December 11, 2011, and relocated to the Vehicle Assembly Building 's turn basin dock adjacent to the Launch Complex 39 Press Site. The move was performed by Beyel Bros. using a 144-wheel trailer towed by truck. To accommodate the shuttle, several light poles and street signage along the route were taken down, and the shuttle itself was lifted by hydraulic jacks over a KSC guardhouse. The vehicle remained at the turn basin until May 24, 2012, when it began its move by barge to the Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center outside Houston, Texas.
