Enterprise Exhibit Opens Thursday Aboard Intrepid

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) - It's been roughly six weeks since the space shuttle Enterprise was hoisted on to the deck of the aircraft carrier Intrepid on Manhattan's West Side.

Now there's a sprint to the finish, WCBS 880's Peter Haskell reported.

WCBS 880's Peter Haskell On The Story

"It's been a non-stop solid year of planning, planning, planning," said Eric Baim, the museum's curator of aviation.

He noted that you will not be allowed inside the shuttle.

"You'll be able to get underneath her, around her. There's going to be a viewing platform that is up near the nose," he told Haskell.

"No offense, but when you look at this from the outside it doesn't look like much," remarked Haskell.

"Well it doesn't look like much. It's just kind of like a big grey bubble," Baim said. "But when you get inside, prepare to be amazed."

The exhibit features more than just the orbiter.

"Most of what we have in there now is text, graphics, and a lot of great videos," he said.

Artifacts will be added in the future.

He said the fact that the Enterprise was the prototype makes it even more significant.

"Enterprise did five flights out there in the desert and she proves that she can come in without any engines and fly and land like an airplane," Baim said.

The exhibit is slated to open on Thursday, July 19 with a permanent building still in the planning stages.

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