Retired NASA Space Shuttles Are Up for Grabs

FoxNews.com ^ | Wednesday, December 17, 2008

[Joiseydude]

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — NASA's soon-to-be-retired space shuttles are up for grabs.

The space agency said Wednesday it's looking for ideas on where and how best to display its space shuttles once they stop flying in a few years. It's put out a call to schools, science museums and "other appropriate organizations" that might be interested in showcasing one of the three remaining shuttles.

Beware: NASA estimates it will cost about $42 million to get each shuttle ready and get it where it needs to go, and the final tab could end up much more.

[Darksheare]

But Zero apparently wants to kill off the Orion CEV.
What then?
*snort*

[CindyDawg]

some redneck

"Mamma, want to take a ride?")

[CindyDawg]

Rio Grande.

we don’t have anything. Not even a fence :’(

[17th Miss Regt]

and put it in his back yard as a play house for the kids.

Or maybe in his front yard up on bricks. ;}

[Joiseydude]

The illegal aliens would probably steal it, jack up the ass end, put shag carpet on the dash and have dice hanging from the rear view mirror.

[sionnsar]

OMG! One of the Shuttle wind-tunnel projects I worked on was the problem of how to get it off the 747 inflight to come in for a landing...

[CindyDawg]

Yeah, well i bet we could get it home for less than 100 dollars though!

[CindyDawg]

Yeah, well i bet we could get it home for less than 100 dollars though!

[CindyDawg]

Yall remember...red necks made this county, now

[smokingfrog]

Soviet space shuttle floating down the Rhine to the Technik Museum Speyer, near Mannheim, Germany.

[Professional Engineer]

All I want for Christmas is...

[jrp]

$42 million? Put the durn things up on Ebay and let rich collectors buy them and deal with those expenses.

[Political Junkie Too]

Turn them into underwater laboratories. They're already airtight, have atmosphere for 16 days, have bathrooms, sleeping berths, and dining facilities, computer stations, and cargo bays, right? Won't the Canada arm work underwater? Maybe even convert some the cargo bay to a larger inside space that can handle the pressure?

-PJ

[CindyDawg]

Someone creative could actually live in one.

[higgmeister]

That’s what my first thought was. One should go to MSFC!

[ccmay]

I like the idea of a tour. Fly it around to the major air shows in Europe and the US. Do a tour of Asia too; show off the high technology that we’re now retiring but which no one else can match 30 years later. Bring along the Blue Angels or Thunderbirds. Take it to the Olympics in 2010 and 2012.

[Professional Engineer]

Someone creative could actually live in one.

It's been done before.

airplanehome

[rednesss]

"Turn them into underwater laboratories. They're already airtight, have atmosphere for 16 days, have bathrooms, sleeping berths, and dining facilities, computer stations, and cargo bays, right? Won't the Canada arm work underwater? Maybe even convert some the cargo bay to a larger inside space that can handle the pressure?"

I'm not so sure that just because the shuttle was engineered to contain 1 atmosphere pushing out, that it is thus engineered to repel 1 or 2 atmospheres pushing in.

[CindyDawg]

Yeah. You would probably need to build a barn around it though. I wonder what the property tax would be assessed at’

i.

[CindyDawg]

Yeah. You would probably need to build a barn around it though. I wonder what the property tax would be assessed at’

i.