News Summary

If the Air Force museum doesn't get one of the three space shuttles that are slated to be retired in 2010, the Dayton community, the area's politicians and the Air Force itself will have fallen down on the job.

Considering the role that the Air Force has played in the space program, how can one of the sleek ships not be on display at the Air Force's premier and official museum?

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration has sent letters to museums and educational institutions asking if they're interested in taking one of the spacecraft. The catch is that interested parties have to show that they can pay.

NASA, which in the past hasn't charged for historical artifacts, wants $42 million (maybe more) because transporting the vehicles and decontaminating them will be expensive. The agency also wants proof that the shuttles will be well cared for once they're grounded forever.

Even before the shuttle offer was officially made, the Air Force Museum Foundation had already been raising money to expand Dayton's museum. Building a new building, with a shuttle as the show piece, fits perfectly with its growth plans.

The complication is that the Air Force museum has tough competition. Of course, the Smithsonian is in the running. The others are the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Cape Canaveral; the Johnson Space Center in Houston; the U.S. Space & Rocket Center in Huntsville, Ala.; and the private Museum of Flight in Seattle.

What does the Air Force museum have going for it? Where to begin.

Traffic

The museum's 1.7 million square feet of exhibit space attracts an estimated 1.2 million visitors a year. It's also free, while four of the five other competitors charge admission. Exposure to the public is what NASA wants.

Location

Surely one of the shuttles needs to be centrally located, that is, in the Midwest.

Quality of its museum

The Air Force museum has an excellent reputation, particularly for its restoration expertise. It's also used to acquiring big and important things. What would be maddeningly ironic is if the museum were shut out and its experts then were called on to help put the shuttles on view for the public someplace else.

A great claim

The Air Force and NASA have been partners in manned space exploration. A lot of Air Force pilots have become astronauts, and the service's technical prowess in everything from communications to telemetry has assured NASA of its international dominance in the exploration of space.

Complementary artifacts

The museum already has the Apollo 15 Command Module and the Mercury and Gemini capsules.

History

Lest anyone forget, Dayton is the home of the Wright brothers. Huffman Prairie, a stone's throw from the museum, is where the two men practiced flying and maneuvering — or, as lay people would say, learned to turn corners.

Dayton attorney Charlie Faruki, the president of the Air Force Museum Foundation, says the only thing not in Dayton's favor is that there "are not enough shuttles to go around."

If, however, NASA is really dedicated to making this call on merit, Dayton easily makes the cut.