Observed arrival · 2026-09-18
Shuttle Explorer: Discovery, opened up
An interactive 3D study of Space Shuttle Discovery and the STS-26 return-to-flight mission.
- For
- Spaceflight history and 3D-model enthusiasts
- Worth noticing
- The STS-26 study combines NASA assets with a reconstructed Discovery nose and cockpit.
Field notes
The explorer organizes Discovery into an assembled vehicle, an exploded launch stack, and several inspection modes, including the flight deck, middeck, payload bay, nose, and engines. Its STS-26 focus is supported by mission photographs, NASA drawings, and a reconstructed forward fuselage with six forward window panes and recessed reaction-control nozzles. The author explicitly separates visual explanation from engineering accuracy: hinges and component placement are approximate, controls are not operable, and engine motion does not calculate propulsion, thermal, fluid, or flight physics.
Observed signals
Read the marks
Editorial observations of this landing page, not a rating.
One card from the complete issue