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Dec 18, 2008 04:00 PM | 15
In the market for a used space shuttle? You're in luck. If, that is, you happen to have a spare $42 million—and are a U.S. educational institution, federal agency, state or municipality.
NASA yesterday released info about its shuttles' post-retirement plans and put out feelers to gauge interest from potential buyers. (The shuttle program is currently scheduled to end in 2010.) The agency estimates it will cost $42 million to detoxify the fuel systems and conduct other "safing" measures, prep the orbiter for indoor display and transport it by air to its final destination. NASA says it may cost more to reach far-flung locations requiring a long-distance haul "over public roadways which may require removal of light posts and traffic signals or transport by barge over water." The shuttles, after all, have a 78-foot wingspan, about as broad as 11 Hummers.
NASA has just three shuttles, Atlantis, Endeavour and Discovery, in its fleet. And, according to the space agency, one of those orbiters is likely bound for the National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C., leaving only two up for grabs.
For those organizations looking for a piece of the action but financially strapped, NASA offers a lower-priced option: six to 10 decommissioned shuttle engines will also be made available at the low, low price of $400,000 to $800,000 each—plus shipping and handling.
Image credit: NASA/Tom Tschida
Tags:
space shuttle retirement,
nasa,
space shuttle program,
space memorabilia
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15 Comments
Add CommentThe National Air and Space Museum already owns "Enterprise" OV-101 which sadly was renamed "Enterprise" after a slew of Trekkies lobbied for the name.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisUnfortunately, the Trekkies never understood that OV-101 was a test vehicle never destined for use in Space.
There is already one on display, sort of. The Pathfinder mock-up along with a ET used for testing and two prototype SRBs are on display at the Space & Rocket Center in Huntsville, Alabama.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisI'm lucky enough to work about 3 miles from it. Before my office was changed, I could the the Saturn V out of my office window. On a clear day I could also almost, sort-of, see the testing stands at MSFC.
http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&ll=34.710613,-86.653979&spn=0.00196,0.003272&t=h&z=19
So what is stopping someone from buying one and launching it themselves? Well, barring money, obviously. Richard Branson, call your office....
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisRead the first paragraph Hurricane!! Quote: "you happen to have a spare $42 millionand are a U.S. educational institution, federal agency, state or municipality."
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisI'm sure they're going to strip out all of the sensitive equipment and virtually anything that would allow it to fly. Besides all of the ground apparatus you would need to actually bring it back, you're probably talking in the neighborhood of several hundred million to start.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisBut just think.. My licence plate would read "my other car is a space shuttle"
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisEducational institution? "Major Anthony Nelson Memorial Space Flight School, Coco Beach, FL. Richard Branson, CEO, CFO, COO, Founder, President, etc."......yeah, that's the ticket! Train there, take a relaxing cruse to French Guiana where a refurbished shuttle sits on a pad, waiting for use....
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisMaybe it's because it's just too early on a Saturday morning, but has anybody else noticed that the "answer is 42"? :)
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisThat is an enormous price tag for ANY school district to afford, much less any municipality or agency--especially in the current economy, which looks like it will stick around, and get worse in the foreseeable future. Those shuttles may sit and languish on a strip somewhere, unless a private buyer comes forth with chunks of disposable income.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisI thought it would be a rel neat idea to put one in our small, economically distressed, rural town, and use it as the City Hall/Library, next to the schools---but there is no way this town and school district could afford that!
the shuttles should be left in space for general purposes
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisReally, they could be used for housing,storage,emergencies,refuelled for a space vehicle or even land one on the moon. What good can they do us here? They can do a universe of good up in space. We can fill them up with essentials for life and launch them.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisheidcinti -- so sad they all missed your humor -- I am still laughing!
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisThis is a very great article . its one of the nice think.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to this------------------
Muthu
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Oh and don't think of Russia or the European Space agency.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisThat would be a terrible gift for all their help over the past two decades.
I can't believe that not one person posting in here even thinks that we should send one to either Russia, Japan or the European Space Agency for all the help we have received from them over the past two decades.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisIf they are going to be stripped down anyway, its not like something sensitive will be copied.....Oh wait ....China might build a perfect copy using inferior materials.