Texans Asked to Name Space Shuttle in Statewide Contest

Wanted - Texas space enthusiasts to name the space shuttle.

According to a news release, while Florida is home to Atlantis, California has the Endeavor, Virginia the Discovery and New York the Enterprise, the Lone Star state recently received its very own full-scale space shuttle, but unlike the others, it doesn’t have a name.

That’s where you come in. Starting on Thursday July 4, Space Center Houston will kick off their “Name the Shuttle” contest in which Texans can nominate an “original name that symbolizes the spirit of Texas and its unique characteristics of independence, optimism and can-do attitude,” according to the release.

The shuttle, which was originally named “Explorer” while lodged for nearly the past two decades at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center’s Visitor Complex, was transported to Houston earlier last year and has since been staged outside Space Center Houston. However, before the shuttle landed in Houston, so to speak, the name “Explorer” was stripped from its side, rendering it nameless.

Incidentally, the “Name the Shuttle” contest will begin at noon on the Fourth of July and runs until September 2. Those interested in participating in the contest can click here for details.