Space Shuttles Will Be Sold After 2010 Retirement - NASA

by Jared Aicher - Storm Chaser | December 18, 2008 at 09:26 am

1304 views | 39 Recommendations | 20 comments

NASA has announced that the final three Space Shuttles will be sold after they are retired in 2010.

After nearly 30 years of service, and over 120 missions into orbit, NASA’s Space Shuttle fleet will be grounded for good in 2010, and NASA is hoping that schools, museums and other appropriate institutions will be interested in purchasing one of the orbiters for permanent display.

Each orbiter will be sold for $42 million dollars, plus shipping and handling; and unfortunately, you can’t call UPS or FedEx for this shipment. The Space Shuttles will be delivered by NASA on the back of a specially fitted 747 jet to the purchasing institutes nearest major airport, at the tune of roughly $6 million dollars; however, this could run higher if the purchaser is located in say, Alaska or Hawaii. Once the orbiter reaches the airport of choice, the institute must pay to have it moved from the airport to the orbiters final destination.

NASA has also stipulated that the orbiters will not be dismantled for transport, and must be stored in a climate controlled environment. After orbiting the Earth thousands of times, and traveling millions of miles in space, Space Shuttles Discovery, Atlantis, and Endeavor will touch down one last time, and it may be your home town.

If you or an institution you know of is in the market for a used Space Shuttle, you better call now….. these are sure to go fast.

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Jordan Yerman

at 09:34 on December 18th, 2008

I'd turn it into a house with two huge barbecue decks...

Amy Judd

at 10:14 on December 18th, 2008

This is very cool, but I can't imagine any institution has the money to pay for this, plus you would think NASA would be a bit more flexible in their stipulations for delivery and transport, but I suppose I don't know enough about that.

PEP

at 15:11 on December 18th, 2008

Amy, museum exhibits are very costly, as are museums. I was part of the management team @ KSC that handled the visitor's center, and learned a lot.

No way to be flexible about transport of a shuttle. I flew home with Columbia from CA to FL after one mission. The shuttle has very unique transport requirements. Can't schlep it onto a FED-X truck, nor usual ground transport. They're both sturdy and fragile.

Believe it or not, the best way to move them is piggyback!

I hope that one shuttle winds up staying @ KSC in the visitor's center. And, there are always folks out there with real money who will beef up museum's offerings. Heck, if I were Bill Gates, I'd jump on this for some museum.

Fairbanks

at 10:29 on December 18th, 2008

Could be like a Kurt Vonnegut novel, put it in the yard and use it for a rec room.

politisite

at 10:32 on December 18th, 2008

I added some shuttle photos. This was the first time two shuttle were on the launch pad at the same time. They were there for an emergency mission to Hubble

PEP

at 15:08 on December 18th, 2008

Hi politisite, there wasn't an "emergency mission" to Hubble. There were two shuttles on the launch pad at once because both STS-126 and STS-125 were scheduled for missions. I think that the misunderstanding came about because STS-126, the recent highly successful mission to the ISS, was to be on standby before its flight in case the routine, scheduled STS-125 mission to Hubble--which includes some very dangerous spacewalks--needed assistance.

Trouble with a Hubble data processor has pushed STS-125 into next year.

politisite

at 02:46 on December 21st, 2008

Thank for the clarification. I did mean that one shuttle was there on stand bye for a rescue if Necessary. Yes, the mission was scrubbed. I took the photos near Playa lynda beach

Paschen

at 10:49 on December 18th, 2008

I want it! May need some help to get it back up there.

pperry1966

at 11:03 on December 18th, 2008

Naval Air Station/JRB Ft Worth, Texas. The shuttle stopped in Ft Worth overnight on it's way back to Florida

pperry1966 has contributed a photo to this story.

Jennings David L

at 13:18 on December 18th, 2008

I am surprised that the fleet has lasted 30 years. The shuttles will make quite an attraction wherever the final destination. The Smithsonian has Shuttle Enterprise at the Stephen F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Virginia, story about the center at:. http://my.nowpublic.com/travel/other-air-and-space-museum

Jared Aicher - Storm Chaser

at 13:50 on December 18th, 2008

I'm surprised the fleet lasted 30 years as well. The stress on the shuttle airframe during liftoff is incredible - Imagine going from 0 to over 17,000 mph in less than 10 minutes - Hats off to the engineers of this incredible spacecraft -

PEP

at 15:13 on December 18th, 2008

Yes, they are engineering marvels! :)

PEP

at 15:13 on December 18th, 2008

Yes, they are engineering marvels! :)

politisite

at 14:42 on December 18th, 2008

I know how about turn them into public housing units for those who have been displaced due to the mortgage crisis

PEP

at 15:14 on December 18th, 2008

Activists would complain if the homeless were asked to live in the cramped housing conditions that astronauts live in. Seriously. It ain't glamour in the skies.

politisite

at 02:43 on December 21st, 2008

I was talking about the Cargo hold area. In Jest.

PEP

at 15:06 on December 18th, 2008

Actually, one orbiter is going to the Smithsonian Air & Space Museum. And they're not "for sale" to just anyone. It has to be a valid museum that meets certain criteria.

Thanks for giving some attention to the space program!

Jared Aicher - Storm Chaser

at 15:20 on December 18th, 2008

PEP,

Thank you for all the comments! I'm a major advocate of space exploration and I hope to post more articles on the subject in the future. It seems since the days of Apollo that the space program has been placed on the back burner when it comes to the media, unless something unthinkable happens.

Every time we go into space it's a miracle that needs to be appreciated. Thanks again PEP!