The Explorer

The 123-foot Explorer (the spaceship that never left earth) has been on display at the Kennedy Space Center since 1994. NASA decided to move it to Houston as a consolation prize for not getting a real space shuttle.

Houston officials had alleged NASA's decision last year to not award the city one of the agency's four retired shuttles was politically motivated. Many Houstonians were offended by the decision, as the city is home to Johnson Space Center and Mission Control. But NASA's watchdog group said the agency acted properly.

The replica will eventually become the star attraction of an educational exhibition themed around the retired space shuttle program. Designed for outdoor display, the mockup is fully-detailed inside and out. Once an access ramp is erected later this year, Space Center Houston visitors will be able to walk through the orbiter to see its crew compartment and inside its payload bay.