After a full year’s work of restoration, The Galileo Shuttlecraft from the Star Trek Original Series, has officially been unveiled at its new home at the Space Center Houston.
Having the Galileo at the Space Center is a perfect development for the Star Trek fandom; that’s where a science fiction symbol like this belongs. Adam Schneider, the man behind the restoration, is a Trekkie who couldn’t let the Galileo be lost in time. As he said himself before the sheet was pulled away, “Star Trek is our future.”
Star Trek has had a massive impact on the space-travel industry, a point which was expressed during the celebrity panel. They discussed the impact of strong female roles in sci-fi, how we can bring education and space travel back to our society, and how without Star Trek a lot of inspiration for modern technology may not have happened. It was such an experience to hear these actors speak about things that are so important, and with so much passion.
The final event was the opportunity to hear one of the guest astronauts speak about his time in space and what it can mean for us. We watched an amazing video of him recording a satellite spin around the earth in real time at over 17,000 MPH. The passion was visible on his face as he watched his recording, which helped his emphasis on how little importance our problems are here on Earth, seeing the planet from up there. He answered questions with vigor, listening with a smile on his face as a young boy struggled to articulate his question about the rocket’s metal body, and his answer was of pure encouragement.
I was able to see some pretty cool things at this event that I did not expect, number one being the “NASA Protective Service” agents placed around the border of the shuttle. This experience was absolutely humbling, and knowing that this shuttle will help inspire many children years from now is a truly wonderful thought.
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Lt. Lizzie Lynch
USS Constancy