RE/MAX Ballunar Liftoff Festival to Feature Space Shuttle Tribute Bike

NASA/Johnson Space Center – August 26 – The RE/MAX Ballunar Liftoff Festival, presented by Schepps Dairy at the NASA/Johnson Space Center this weekend, has just snagged a surprise feature attraction to complement its sky full of hot air balloons, skydivers, and aerial acrobats.

The Space Shuttle Tribute Bike, a project of Johnson Space Center employees and the Discovery Channel’s popular “American Chopper” television show, pays tribute to the thousands of people who make the real Space Shuttles fly. The Bike, a chopper-style motorcycle that symbolizes the hands-on, uniquely American style that is reflected in the work ethic that built the space program, will be on display for up-close personal inspections on Saturday at the weekend family festival that honors mankind’s fascination with flight. It was unveiled to hundreds of NASA employees this past Monday.

“This is about the workers behind the program,” said Shuttle Tribute Bike Project lead Gary Dalrymple, Electrical Systems Flight Controller of Barrios. “It’s about a joy and love for the vehicle. It’s completely custom-build, from the ground up, and if you’re a fan of classic aircraft, the motor on this bike sounds just like a vintage P-51 Mustang. If conditions are favorable, we’ll ride the bike around the festival grounds.”

The Shuttle Tribute Bike committee foresees the bike as a great way to educate the public and excite new audiences about space exploration. The Discovery Channel will air two one-hour episodes of “American Chopper” on the building of the Space Shuttle Tribute Bike at the beginning of next season. It will be on public display periodically at Space Center Houston. Visitors can purchase a commemorative koozie or banadana to help defray project expenses, and groups may contact the Shuttle Bike Committee at www.spaceshuttletributebike.org for information about appearances at other events.

“Visitors can add this to the extraordinary list of attractions this Festival offers,” said Steve Lombardi, the event’s co-founder and Director of Flight Operations. “Along with the NASA Mini-Tour on Saturday, real NASA Astronauts signing autographs, and MAX-Q, the Astronaut Band that is performing live on stage at the festival, this year’s balloon competitions will have the greatest variety yet of fascinating, educational activities to complete a weekend of family fun.”

The Festival runs from 6pm Friday through noon on Sunday, with admission just $10 per vehicle, encouraging group attendance to the non-profit event that encourages young people’s interest in math and science through the study of aviation.
Ballunar Liftoff Festival, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization. Its mission is to help the public learn about aviation and space exploration, and to sponsor and fund educational activities that encourage young people to learn about aviation and space and to study mathematics and the sciences.