New York is poised to win its campaign to bring a retired space shuttle to the Intrepid Sea-Air-Space Museum, Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) said Monday.

The senior lawmaker said a number of sources have told him the floating museum on Manhattan�s West Side has the inside track in the fight to land one of NASA�s iconic rockets.

�I believe we are in good shape,� Schumer said. �It�s not a done deal, but the arguments we have made about why the shuttle belongs in New York are resonating.�

The Daily News has championed the cause of bringing a space shuttle to the Intrepid. More than 20 other institutions around the country are vying for Discovery, Endeavour and Atlantis. The Smithsonian in the nation�s capital is said to be the front-runner for Discovery.

Schumer said New York has stiff competition for the other shuttles from at least two other cities, which he refused to name.

NASA originally vowed to make a decision on the shuttles in July and now says it will decide by the end of the year.

Schumer said he is hearing that a decision will be announced in the next �few weeks.�

Despite being in front, New York still has some work to do before it can seal the deal and bring a powerful attraction to the West Side.

�The fat lady hasn�t started to sing,� he said.

(Source: NY Daily News)