Museum of Flight Welcomes Space Shuttle Trainer Crew Compartment

The most recognizable piece of the Shuttle Trainer arrived at Seattle's Museum of Flight Saturday, June 30, amid crowds of cheering spectators. The Space Shuttle Trainer Crew Compartment, which is 28.75 feet long, 19 feet wide and 23.5 feet high, was transported in NASA's Super Guppy aircraft. The Shuttle Trainer is being delivered in several stages over the next few months and will be on display in its entirety at The Museum of Flight's Charles Simonyi Space Gallery.

The Shuttle Trainer Crew Compartment being loaded into the Super Guppy aircraft at Houston's Johnson Space Center, ready to make its final resting place at Seattle's Museum of Flight  

Built in the 1970s, the Shuttle Trainer is the only one of its kind in the world and is the simulator in which each of the 335 space shuttle astronauts trained.

The arrival of the Space Shuttle Trainer Crew Compartment kicked off ShuttleFest 2012, a week-long celebration to commemorate the historic artifact's arrival to its final home.

To read more about the Shuttle Trainer or ShuttleFest 2012, click here to read the article from MSNBC.com.

For photos of the event welcoming the Space Shuttle Trainer Crew Compartment from the Seattle PI, click here.