Many Brazos Valley residents were disappointed to learn that the Brazos Valley Museum of Natural History would not be the home of one of four space shuttles going to museums around the country. For more on the space shuttles, click here.

While we won't be receiving a shuttle, we may not have lost out completely.

The Dwight Look College of Engineering at Texas A&M University has the unique opportunity to receive a donation of the fully operational NASA space shuttle flight simulator at the conclusion of the last shuttle mission later this year.

The shuttle simulator has trained 355 astronauts for 135 missions and will be the only large piece of equipment from the NASA space shuttle project that will remain in the State of Texas. NASA, Texas A&M University and Look College are partnering to provide the transportation and space necessary to house the simulator for students and researchers to utilize for many more years to come.

"We all feel it would be a tremendous benefit for Texas A&M Engineering to have this historic equipment fully operational at our university for use by our students, and as a demonstration of our close ties to the space program and NASA," said Dr. John Valasek, aerospace engineering associate professor.

In order for Texas A&M to receive the simulator, funds must be raised by the end of May to complete the disassembly and reassemble the simulator to make it operational once it arrives on campus. Donors who contribute in order to bring this space shuttle simulator to Texas A&M University will be appropriately recognized at the facility that houses the equipment.