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Originally Posted by Overflow
Discovery's engines are replicas. NASA took all the real main engines out of the orbiters when they sent them to their museums. Some are going to museums, others are staying with NASA for SLS, NASA's next manned space program.
Discovery does not have a tail cone because the Smithsonian wanted it to look like it just landed. However, Enterprise has her tail cone installed because the Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum wanted her to look like she did when she performed the Approach and Landing tests in the 70's. She had her tail cone installed for most of these tests.
I love all the orbiters like they're my own, but Space Shuttle Atlantis will forever be close to my heart. With the exception of Space Shuttle Enterprise, Atlantis was the first Space Shuttle I ever saw. The last time I saw her, she was positioned on launch pad 39A in 2011 for STS-135, the Space Shuttle Program's final mission the very next day. I still remember the thundering boom her SRBs made when they separated for the final time after launch.
She will also be the first orbiter I see in her retirement home. I'm thinking about visiting her in July, a couple days after her exhibit opens.
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Great story! I wish I could have made it to the final launch. I was only able to make one launch back in 2008, I can't remember if it was STS-117 or STS-118. It was a great experience
