The inspiration is blasting off to St. Cloud

ST. CLOUD — It’s official. St. Cloud will be the new home of the Inspiration Mock Orbiter.

The Inspiration is a NASA-built model of a space shuttle that's incredibly realistic, according to the model’s owner, local inventor and founder of LVX System Felicity-John Pederson.

The orbiter is currently being disassembled at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida so it can be transported to St. Cloud.

More: Downtown St. Cloud could be getting a NASA-built space shuttle model

Because of the limited timeframe Pederson had to move the model, plans are still being developed for what to do with it once it’s here. One of the first steps was starting a nonprofit called Inspiration Space Port in order to fund and organize the orbiter’s trip to Minnesota.

ISP’s mission is to “inspire current and future generations for advancement in science technology, engineering and mathematics through experiential learning in the fields of space exploration, discovery, aviation, technical and mechanical engineering.”

There are lots of potential options for the model once it's in St. Cloud. According to Pederson, one possibility is erecting it as a statue of a shuttle, which wouldn't be interactive.

Pederson said the preferred route would be to create an immersive experience involving the shuttle.

“I think it would be a great impression for all ages, really,” Pederson said. “I think that's probably the goal that we would all like to see happen. And so we need to make those plans right away and renderings and things and put them in front of the right people. I think it would be a fabulous tourism (attraction), really good for education.”

Potential sites for the model include the downtown space near the Great River Children's Museum, but Pederson said I-94 and Highway 15 have also been discussed as possibilities. Another option ISP is exploring is working with NASA to establish a Challenger Learning Center of Minnesota.

An attraction involving the shuttle could be a major tourism draw for St. Cloud and one that requires no financial investment from the city, as it will be privately funded, according to Mayor Dave Kleis.

“Our highest priority right now is economic development in the downtown for the city and for the region, so what better way to do that than to put in an attraction (there)?" Kleis said.

— Tess Ware is the local editor of The St. Cloud Times. Contact her at tware@stcloudtimes.com.

This article originally appeared on St. Cloud Times: It's official — a model space shuttle is coming to St. Cloud