Name a Houston Space Shuttle: Texas Contest Opens on July 4

Want to name a space shuttle? Texans may just have that opportunity. A high-fidelity replica of a NASA space shuttle has been placed as a centerpiece at Space Center Houston--and now the public is getting a chance to provide a name for it.

The new "Name the Shuttle" contest will be launched on Thursday and will run through Sept. 2. Texas residents can enter the competition on a new website, www.nametheshuttle.com, where they can submit suggestions for the shuttle's new name. Judges will look for an original name that symbolizes the spirit of Texas and its unique characteristics. Despite the hype surrounding the shuttle, though, the fact remains that the mockup simply isn't real.

While Houston only received a faux shuttle, four other cities received real orbiters. For example, the Kennedy Space Center in Florida recently received Atlantis, the shuttle that flew 33 missions and was the first to dock at the Russian space station, Mir. Yet the fake one benefits from something that the real orbiters don't--the public will be able to walk inside and explore the new shuttle.

"It's the top question that they get at other museums--'Can I go inside?' And you can't," said Robert Pearlman, editor of the website www.collectspace.com, in an interview with The Houston Chronicle. "Space Center Houston has always been a hands-on place, sharing and educating about space. I think it's a good opportunity to engage the entire state in embracing this mock-up and the eventual display it's going to be part of as its tribute to the space shuttle program."

Currently, Space Center Houston plans to unveil the exhibit featuring the shuttle in 2015. The shuttle will sit atop a Shuttle Carrier Aircraft, or SCA, according to KLTV.com. The $12 million, six-story attraction will be a major feature at the space center, and officials are hoping it draws visitors that will be able to explore the interior of the spacecraft. The replica, which was previously on display at the Kennedy Space Center, arrived at Houston's Johnson Space Center last June.