SpaceShip One at the NASM!

[CalabashCorolla]

I recently visited the National Air & Space Museum annex at Dulles Airport for the first time....VERY cool place, for those of you who haven't been there before. On display are the prototype shuttle Enterprise, the isolation trailer for the Apollo 11 crew, and several aircraft including an Air France Concorde and a Blackbird stealth plane.

Anyhow, while touring the helicopter section of the aviation wing, I noticed a craft that was covered by a tarp and surrounded by a rope barrier. Upon closer inspection, I realized that it had to be Spaceship One (the circular windows could be seen through the tarp). Does anyone know when it is due to go on official display, and is the museum planning on creating any other exibits on private sector space travel?

[WHarris]

According to this press release (http://www.nasm.si.edu/events/pressroom/releaseDetail.cfm?releaseID=130), it's going to be displayed at the main Air and Space Museum facility (in DC) starting in late September.

[Maksutov]

I recently visited the National Air & Space Museum annex at Dulles Airport for the first time....VERY cool place, for those of you who haven't been there before. On display are the prototype shuttle Enterprise...
Actually Enterprise was sort of a prototype, but not per the usual definition of a test vehicle (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space_Shuttle_Enterprise), since the plan was for Enterprise to become an operational vehicle, hence the OV-101 designation. The test vehicle role was going to be assigned to Challenger (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space_Shuttle_Challenger), (STA-099). But economics did its thing and Challenger got upgraded instead of Enterprise.