HUNTSVILLE, Alabama -- The U.S. Space & Rocket Center's bus tours of Marshall Space Flight Center were shut down after the 9/11 terrorist attacks, but are now set to resume, possibly as soon as July 15.

"Public bus tours of the NASA facilities were discontinued on Sept. 11, 2001," said John Dumoulin, Marshall's liaison to the space center. "We hope starting them again will help people better understand the critical work going on behind the gates at Redstone."

"We want to showcase the work that Marshall is doing," said Dr. Deborah Barnhart, the center's CEO and executive director.

Dumoulin said one stop on the tour will be at the International Space Station Payload Operations Center, which manages data coming to and from the space station. Another stop will be at the historic Redstone test stand, designated by the U.S. Department of the Interior's National Park Service as a National Historic Landmark.

The tour, which will take about an hour, will also pass the engines displayed in front of Marshall's main administrative building and the Propulsion Research Development Laboratory, as well as some Army facilities, including the Sparkman Center and the Von Braun Complex.

"There will be a tour guide on each bus to answer questions," Dumoulin said.

"We may add (to the tour) as we move forward," Barnhart said.

The center will use its three 48-passenger buses and a Handi-Ride van that's being donated to the center.

Huntsville Mayor Tommy Battle has authorized the transfer of a surplus Handi-Ride van to the space center, said Huntsville Parking and Public Transit Director Tommy Brown. The transfer will be on the agenda for Thursday's Huntsville City Council meeting. If approved, "we'll be able to give (center officials) the title and keys" the following day, Brown said.

The van seats eight passengers and has two wheelchair tie downs to secure wheelchairs.

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U.S Space & Rocket Center's bus tours of Marshall Space Flight Center set to resume