Soyuz Capsule Joins Enterprise in Intrepid’s Space Shuttle Pavilion

New York, NY — Work continues on the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum’s Space Shuttle Pavilion, set to reopen on July 10, with the addition of the Soyuz TMA-6 spacecraft. On loan from Greg Olsen, who was on hand this morning, the Soyuz capsule will now live in the Space Shuttle Pavilion, along with space shuttle Enterprise.

 

On the morning of June 25, the nine-by-nine-foot Soyuz TMA-6 spacecraft, scarred by re-entry into the Earth’s atmosphere after its voyage into space, was moved from its current home on Intrepid’s hangar deck to the Space Shuttle Pavilion, where it will become an exciting new addition to the exhibit surrounding the space shuttle Enterprise, as well as provide visitors the rare opportunity to view an original Russian spacecraft. Here’s a video of the move.

 

 

The Soyuz was transported via the ship’s Portside Aircraft Elevator, an open-air platform that raised the capsule to the flight deck, while media and Intrepid Museum staff members watched from the flight deck. The capsule returned Olsen, one of the few private citizens to experience space travel, back to Earth in October 2005 after he traveled to the International Space Station.

 

The new Space Shuttle Pavilion, which replaces the original structure that was damaged by Hurricane Sandy, is currently being constructed around Enterprise and will be completed over the coming weeks. Visitors will still be able to walk underneath Enterprise, which sits 10 feet off of the ground, view Enterprise from a larger observation platform, and view a film narrated by actor Leonard Nimoy.