On April 12th, NASA made the decision to place retired Space Shuttles in Florida, Virginia, California, and New York.  Houstonians feel that one of the retired Space Shuttles belong in Houston and are deeply disappointed that those that have dedicated their lives to manned Space Flight are being snubbed in this manner. 

NASA should reconsider its decision and place at least one of the retired Space Shuttles in Houston.  This would not only help to boost the economy via tourism in the Clear Lake area which has suffered a hit after the cancellation of manned Space Flight but also place a piece of history in one of the very cities that help to build that history.

Quoting from Houston Chronicle Op Ed article, April 9, 2011 by Denis C. Braham and Donald J. Henderson (http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/editorial/outlook/7514706.html):

"From housing NASA's Johnson Space Center (JSC), Mission Control and the Astronaut Corps, Houston has been at the forefront of our country's push into the final frontier for almost five decades.

The Johnson Space Center has been called the face and voice of our space program. It has also served as Mission Control for every single shuttle flight in the program's history. Surely no other facility - save perhaps the Kennedy Space Center in Florida - is more iconic in our nation's history of space travel.

In fact, the most famous and the most infamous words ever spoken in the vacuum of space by humans - "Houston, Tranquility base here. The Eagle has landed," and "Houston, we have a problem" - were directed at the JSC here in Houston.

Certainly no other city is as connected to America's space efforts as Houston.

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On a level playing field the decision to house a flown shuttle in Houston would seem to be a no-brainer, especially considering how well we meet all the selection criteria set forth by NASA.

In addition to its rich history with the space program, Houston is the nation's fourth largest city and is host to millions of visitors a year - more than 31 million in 2008 alone, many of whom are international visitors who also associate Houston and JSC with manned spaceflight and the shuttle program. The city is also home to the largest hub of the world's largest airline, United, guaranteeing easy access to all.

Just a few miles from downtown, Space Center Houston, the official visitor center for NASA Johnson Space Center, hosts more than 750,000 visitors each year - 13 million since it opened its doors almost 19 years ago - and is ranked as one of the state's top tourist attractions with a significant educational and science component. The center is not some kitschy tourist attraction, but a showcase for our nation's space program as well as a fountain of knowledge for its visitors.

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None of us should forget the amazing NASA families who have made Houston their home and who have dedicated, and in some instances, given their lives to human space flight. They know what we all know and what our president and NASA administrator must also know - that the iconic shuttle belongs in Houston, where it can be a catalyst for generations to come to explore the human frontier of space and science.

Last and certainly not least as reasons that Houston should be at the top of any list to house a retired orbiter is the city's commitment to pay for it. Unlike other contenders, Houston does not need a handout to cover all the costs associated with housing an orbiter."

NASA should reconsider its decision immediately and allow one of the retired Space Shuttles to come HOME to HOUSTON!!!