Space Shuttle Independence

[3] Independence, then known as Explorer, was displayed at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex atop cement pilings and secured with steel cabling.

Inside, visitors could view a mock-up payload, a mannequin wearing an early model of the orange launch/entry pressure suit used by shuttle astronauts, and a mock cockpit with controls and instruments.

Adjacent to Explorer were two solid rocket boosters mated to a full-size mock-up of an external tank (originally used by Stennis Space Center for fit tests).

[13][14] Independence underwent extensive renovation in 2013 and 2014 to repair damaged components and update its appearance to more closely match that of the modern shuttle fleet.

Modifications include a re-skinning of the exterior, replica thermal tiles, publicly accessible mid-deck and payload bay, a glass cockpit on the flight deck, and display cases with shuttle program artifacts.

[15] On August 14, 2014, a heavy lift was completed to place Independence on top of NASA 905,[16] which had been moved to Space Center Houston from Ellington Field on April 30, 2014.

Tugboats take Explorer into Clear Lake from Galveston Bay
Independence on display at Space Center Houston